Yoon Visits Condolences for Third Day... Orders Truth Investigation Saying "It's Regrettable"

Rapid Shift in Atmosphere Following Release of Recorded Report on Day of Disaster... Yoon May Soon Clarify Position

President Yoon Suk-yeol is paying his respects at the joint memorial altar for the victims of the Itaewon accident at Seoul Plaza on the morning of the 2nd. /

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol has been continuing his condolence visits for three consecutive days, including visiting the joint memorial altar for the victims of the Itaewon tragedy. On the previous day (the 1st), President Yoon was briefed on the '112 emergency call records prior to the Itaewon incident' and ordered a 'strict investigation.' After this information was made public, demands for the dismissal of Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min and Commissioner General of the National Police Agency Yoon Hee-geun have been spreading, raising the possibility that President Yoon may soon clarify his position.

On the morning of the 2nd, around 9 a.m., President Yoon visited the joint memorial altar at Seoul Plaza to pay his respects. Only a few aides accompanied him on this visit, including Minister Lee, Chief Presidential Secretary Kim Dae-gi, Senior Secretary for National Planning Lee Gwan-seop, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Lee Jin-bok, and Senior Secretary for Public Relations Kim Eun-hye.

President Yoon has visited the joint memorial altar daily since the accident occurred. Following his visit to Seoul Plaza on the first day the altar was set up, the 31st, he expressed his condolences at the joint memorial altar established at Noksapyeong Station Plaza in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, together with Cabinet members the day before. In the condolence book, President Yoon wrote, "I am overwhelmed with sorrow and grief. I will do my best to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again."

Considering that President Yoon has designated the period until the 5th as a national mourning period and adjusted all major schedules accordingly, it is expected that he will make additional condolence visits during the remaining period. In particular, this policy is believed to have become firmer after he was briefed on the previous day about the police’s inadequate response to citizens’ 112 emergency calls at the scene before the accident occurred.

Voices from the political sphere, especially from opposition parties, demanding government accountability are growing louder. The Blue House has avoided detailed explanations, stating, "After clarifying the cause of the accident in a way that the public can accept," and "Currently, it is time to focus on fact-finding," but maintaining distance is proving difficult.

There is also analysis that the cabinet reshuffle scheduled for the year-end and New Year period might be brought forward. Although effectively a dismissal, this suggests that the heads responsible for public safety will be successively replaced to reorganize the administration due to this incident. However, considering President Yoon’s principle of standing by trusted personnel until the end and variables such as the opposition party potentially gaining the initiative easily, he may instead focus more on accident recovery and countermeasure preparation as planned.

It has been reported that President Yoon showed a shocked and agitated reaction after being briefed on the emergency call recordings released by the police. According to aides, President Yoon instructed, "Thoroughly investigate the facts without any suspicion," and "Handle this strictly according to law and principles." He was also said to be heartbroken over the fact that many victims occurred because the police failed to respond appropriately after the initial emergency call.