Anger in South Korea as court rejects removing minister over Halloween crush

Judges of South Korea's Constitutional Court sit for the ruling on the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, at the constitutional court in Seoul, South Korea, July 25, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's top court on Tuesday ruled against a parliamentary vote to impeach the interior minister over a botched government response to a deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, sparking anger and dismay among relatives of the victims.

Amid a heavy police presence at the constitutional court, some relatives attending the hearing broke down in tears after the ruling, with two mothers collapsing and taken away by an ambulance, according to a Reuters witness.