[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jeon Ju-hye, a member of the People Power Party and a member of the special committee for the Itaewon disaster national investigation, stated that the reason why the ruling party members of the special committee did not attend the meeting with the bereaved families the day before was because the opposition party submitted a motion to dismiss Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min.
On the 2nd, Representative Jeon appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "Submitting a motion to dismiss (Minister Lee) means breaking the agreement on the national investigation, which is our position."
Although there was a meeting between the bereaved families of the Itaewon disaster and the members of the national investigation special committee the day before, members affiliated with the People Power Party did not attend.
Representative Jeon said, "The meaning of conducting a national investigation is to properly identify the truth and to prevent recurrence," adding, "For a thorough investigation, Minister Lee, as the head of the relevant ministry, should take an oath in front of the public and naturally have the opportunity to talk about the situation at that time and how he fulfilled his responsibilities."
She continued, "Because of such expectations, the People Power Party decided to participate in the national investigation after much consideration, but submitting a motion to dismiss the minister to the National Assembly even before starting is like the opposition party has already predetermined the answer," and criticized, "The Democratic Party of Korea lacks the will to conduct a proper investigation."
Representative Jeon said, "Requesting the minister's dismissal even before the national investigation begins breaks the trust necessary for the investigation and breaks the agreement that led to the investigation stage," adding, "From the People Power Party's perspective, it is difficult to participate in any activities related to the national investigation unless the Democratic Party withdraws the motion to dismiss."
Some argue that despite the differences between the ruling and opposition parties, they should have participated to console the bereaved families. In response, Representative Jeon said, "We also feel heavy-hearted," adding, "However, due to this stance, we could not participate, and there should have been considerable consultation between the ruling and opposition floor leaders, but we were unilaterally notified of the meeting."
She said, "Although we could not participate, we have been listening carefully to the words of the bereaved families broadcasted on YouTube and later on the National Assembly Broadcasting Service and have taken them to heart."
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