Progressive Party Launches Petition for Dismissal of Those Responsible for Itaewon Disaster and Cabinet Resignation

Nationwide Signature Campaign Launched at Workers' General Strike Site

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] The Progressive Party announced on the 22nd that it will carry out a nationwide signature campaign demanding the dismissal of those responsible for the Itaewon tragedy and the resignation of the entire cabinet.

The Progressive Party plans to launch the nationwide signature campaign at the site of the general strike by workers, which will continue until December.

Since the 10th, the Progressive Party has been conducting a nationwide signature campaign and party speeches demanding President Yoon Seok-yeol’s responsibility for the Itaewon tragedy and the dismissal of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, and Commissioner General of the National Police Agency Yoon Hee-geun.

More than 10,000 people have participated in the signature campaign conducted by the central party.

The Progressive Party stated, "President Yoon refuses to dismiss those responsible for the Itaewon tragedy and instead staged scenes comforting Minister Lee, which has provoked public anger," adding, "The government’s lack of communication, arrogance, and incompetence over the past six months since inauguration have reached a critical point, leading us to shift our demands to the resignation of the entire cabinet and launch the signature campaign."

They continued, "The Progressive Party will not only conduct the nationwide signature campaign and party speeches in 16 city and provincial branches but also, as a labor-centered representative progressive party (with 60,000 out of 90,000 members being minimum wage, irregular, and subcontracted workers), will vigorously carry out the signature campaign together with worker members at labor sites."

The Progressive Party plans to conduct the signature campaign at the Construction Union’s all-out struggle resolution rally starting today, as well as at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ 'Amendment of Labor Union Act Articles 2 and 3' resolution rally continuing until December, and at the general strike sites of workers in the Cargo Solidarity, school irregular workers, public sector, and public institutions. Progressive Party worker members will also conduct the signature campaign at labor sites starting today and deliver the signatures to the Presidential Office by December.

Standing Representative Yoon Hee-sook said, "Watching the Itaewon tragedy, a consensus among workers that 'we can no longer live like this and must prevent unjust deaths from happening again' is forming from the bottom up," adding, "For workers who witnessed the deaths of their colleagues in dangerous workplaces, changing the government’s irresponsible attitude is also a matter of their urgent survival."

She continued, "If President Yoon is to take responsibility for the Itaewon tragedy, he must dismiss those responsible such as Han Duck-soo, Lee Sang-min, and Yoon Hee-geun, and reform the government through the resignation of the 'personal guard cabinet,'" warning, "If President Yoon continues to evade responsibility for the Itaewon tragedy, we will have no choice but to take further action."