People Power Party on Icheon Fire and Gwangju Collapse Accident: "Clear Man-Made Disasters, Measures to Prevent Recurrence Must Be Established"

On the morning of the 18th, firefighters are moving to carry out extinguishing operations at the Coupang Deokpyeong Logistics Center fire site in Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The People Power Party criticized the recent series of disasters, including the Icheon logistics warehouse fire and the Gwangju demolition site collapse, as "clearly man-made disasters."

On the 20th, Hwang Bo-seung-hee, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, mentioned the building collapse accident that occurred on the 9th in Dong-gu, Gwangju, stating, "It has been revealed that the demolition plan was flawed from the start, and there is evidence that the subcontracting process involved 'subcontractor kickbacks,' which led to poor demolition work."

Regarding the fire accident at Coupang's Deokpyeong Logistics Center in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 17th, he pointed out, "Last year, 38 people died in the Icheon fire accident, and in July of the same year, a fire occurred in Yongin, resulting in 5 deaths. Yet, large-scale fires continue to occur repeatedly in logistics warehouses, so we must reflect on whether there was any prior preparation possible." He also emphasized the need for institutional improvements tailored to the characteristics of logistics warehouses.

Spokesperson Hwang said about the two accidents, "It is natural to clearly identify the causes and punish those responsible in the process," adding, "Furthermore, the response should not be a temporary fix that only puts out the immediate fire."

He urged for fundamental countermeasures, saying, "At this opportunity, fundamental measures to prevent recurrence must be established to ensure that no more precious lives of the people are lost," and added, "The People Power Party will also do its utmost."