Yoon: "Whether there is a host or not, the safety of the people is the most important"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 1st, President Yoon Suk-yeol urged, regarding the 'Itaewon Halloween crowd crush disaster,' that "local governments and the police should not divide responsibilities but rather establish institutional measures to collaborate proactively."
President Yoon pointed out this during the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning. According to Deputy Spokesperson Lee Jae-myung's briefing from the presidential office, he said, "If we do not invest proactively in safety, we will pay a significant social cost later. Whether there is an organizer or not, the safety of the people is the most important."
He further emphasized, "When urgency arises, it is already a dangerous situation. It is too late to respond after recognizing specific risks," and added, "All ministries must take on the responsibility as safety authorities and establish fundamental countermeasures."
This is interpreted as President Yoon directly criticizing the explanation that the Itaewon Halloween festival was a spontaneous event without an organizer, thus leaving no legal grounds for police and local governments to intervene, while simultaneously ordering the strengthening of safety measures.
In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting that day, President Yoon also said, "I urge related agencies to care for each injured person as if they were their own family, with the heart of a parent," and demanded "systematic research and institutional supplementation on crowd management, as mere habitual responses or formal inspections cannot fully protect the lives of the people."
President Yoon also announced plans to hold a National Safety System Inspection Meeting involving related ministries and experts once the national mourning period ends, urging thorough preparation from the relevant departments.
When a reporter asked whether the National Safety System Inspection Meeting would become a regular fixture or what laws and systems would be created, a presidential office official explained, "All ministries responsible for safety will participate, along with private experts, to establish a meeting body that inspects the entire national safety system," adding, "The frequency of future meetings will be decided once the meeting body is formed."
Regarding legal opinions from some in the judiciary suggesting that civil claims for state compensation might be possible related to the Itaewon disaster, the official dismissed this by saying, "First and foremost, a thorough investigation of all circumstances is necessary for this incident and for preventing future accidents," and "Responsibility and subsequent issues will be discussed after the investigation results are reviewed."
When asked if President Yoon plans to issue a direct apology, the response was, "The results of the investigation into various responsibilities will come out, and at that time, we will focus on identifying the cause of the accident in a way that the public can accept."
Regarding criticism from opposition parties that the government documents refer to the incident as the 'Itaewon accident' rather than the 'Itaewon disaster,' and victims as 'affected persons' instead of 'casualties,' suggesting an attempt to downplay the matter, the presidential office rebutted, "President Yoon stated in his national address the morning after the accident that 'a tragedy and disaster that should never have happened in the heart of Seoul occurred,'" adding, "I do not believe there are citizens who think the government intends to downplay the issue based on terminology."
They emphasized, "We hope that the expressions used in official administrative documents are not confused with the government's sincere mourning."
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