Kingston Council has paid tribute to the people of South Korea after more than 150 people died in a deadly crush in Seoul on Saturday night.

By early evening on Saturday, October 29, thousands of mainly young people had gathered in Itaewon in the centre of the South Korean capital to celebrate Halloween as well as the prospect of partying again after two years of strict Covid restrictions in the country.

Seoul's popular Itaewon district has long been considered a hotspot for nightlife however the sheer volume of people, an estimated 100,000, led to a deadly crush at about 10.20pm when a large crowd, mainly wearing Halloween costumes, surged into a steep narrow alleyway off the main thoroughfare near a Hamilton Hotel.

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has one of the largest expatriate communities of South Koreans in Europe, and is said to be one of the most densely populated areas of Korea outside of South Korea. An estimated 20,000 South Korean's currently live in New Malden.

Addressing Saturday night's tragedy, leader of Kingston Council Andreas Kirsch, said: "We were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life and injury to those caught in the crush that took place on the streets of Itaewon on 29 October 2022.

"This tragedy is particularly devastating to the residents of our borough, home to our large Korean community, whom we join in mourning."

He continued: "On behalf of the Royal Borough of kingston upon Thames, we express our deepest condolences and sympathies to His Excellency Ambassador Yoon Yeocheol and the families and victims. Our thoughts are now with the people of South Korea during this extremely difficult time."

Today, South Korea's police chief has said their response to the Itaewon crush was 'inadequate'- the first acknowledgement from officials that they did not do enough to prevent it.

Amid growing calls for accountability, South Korea's president Yoon Suk-yeol has pledged a full investigation.