Park Hong-geun "Yoon, An Event Without a Host? Seoul City, Yongsan District Office, and Police Agency Should Have Taken Action"

"President Yoon Seok-yeol, Blaming Institutional Deficiencies Is Highly Inappropriate"
"Minister Lee Sang-min, Calls for Dismissal Even Within the Ruling Party"
"Park Hee-young, Yongsan District Mayor, Shocked by Remark 'Without Organizers, It's a Phenomenon, Not a Festival'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Park Jun-i] Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on the 1st regarding the Itaewon crush accident, "President Yoon Seok-yeol's remarks blaming the cause on institutional shortcomings as if the event had no organizer are highly inappropriate during the national mourning period."

At the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Floor Leader Park said, "If there was no event organizer, according to the principles of the current Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act, government authorities such as Seoul City, Yongsan District Office, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Yongsan Police Station should have taken action."

Article 4 of the Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act states, "The state and local governments have the responsibility to protect the lives and bodies of citizens from disasters and other accidents, must strive to prevent disasters and other accidents and reduce damage, and must establish and implement plans for prompt response and recovery from damages."

Floor Leader Park criticized, "If the central government minister in charge and the local government district mayor, who bear unlimited responsibility for citizens' safety, failed to prevent a major disaster in advance, they should at least take responsibility with a humble attitude during the recovery process."

He then directed criticism at Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min and Yongsan District Mayor Park Hee-young, saying, "Minister Lee, who has been at the center of controversy with irresponsible and evasive remarks day after day, is already facing calls for dismissal even within the ruling party. The Yongsan District Mayor, who issued a statement 16 hours after the accident, also made a shocking, evasive remark that 'since there was no organizer, it is a phenomenon, not a festival.' This is truly lamentable during the mourning and funeral period."

Additionally, Floor Leader Park said, "The government should not cause unnecessary controversy by downplaying the clear tragedy as an 'accident' or by referring to the victims as 'deceased' to evade responsibility."

He added, "This is not the time to waste administrative power by issuing guidelines to wear black ribbons without the word 'condolences.' I repeatedly urge that all efforts be focused solely on the funeral procedures and memorials for the victims, comforting the bereaved families, and supporting the treatment of the injured."