SEOUL - A South Korean court ruled on Thursday that Seoul's former police chief was not guilty of negligence in the response to a Halloween crowd crush in the capital's Itaewon nightlife district that killed 159 revelers in 2022.

The Seoul Western District Court said it acquitted Kim Kwang-ho, the highest-ranking police official indicted for the incident, in contrast to the three-year jail term it handed the former police chief of the affected district in September.

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That lower-ranking official, heading the city district where Itaewon is located, was faulted for a lack of preparation that the court said created the conditions for the crush nearly two years ago.

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In the case of Kim, former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, however, the court found "insufficient proof" that he violated his specific and direct duty of care in the run-up and preliminary response to the incident.

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An association of activist groups that is demanding accountability for the incident urged the prosecution to appeal the ruling, saying it fell short of the expectations of bereaved families who wanted a tougher outcome.

Reuters could not immediately reach prosecution officials to seek comment.