Prosecutors have sought a seven-year prison sentence for the head of Yongsan District Office, Park Hee-young, who is standing trial for mishandling the Itaewon crush disaster that killed 158 people in October 2022.

Prosecutors made the request on Monday during a hearing at the Seoul Western District Court. 

Also at the hearing, the prosecution asked for a three-year sentence for Choi Won-jun, a former manager-level official handling the district's safety and disaster response, and a two-year sentence for both Yoo Seung-jae, the district's former deputy chief, and Moon In-hwan, the former head of the office's safety, construction and transportation division.

All four officials were indicted in January of last year on charges of causing death and injury due to occupational and gross negligence after failing to prepare a safety management plan ahead of Halloween festivities, as well as failing to properly operate the district's situation room.