Minbyun Lawyer: "Is Drug Autopsy Justified? Highly Inappropriate"

TBS Radio Kim Eo-jun's News Factory Appearance... Conveying Concerns of Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Attorney Lee Joo-hee, a member of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, appeared on TBS 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' on the 8th and conveyed the concerns of the bereaved families regarding the so-called drug autopsy controversy.

Regarding the claim that the drug autopsy was conducted to clear the deceased's innocence, Attorney Lee said, "It is very inappropriate. The question asked immediately after the incident, 'Are you willing to conduct a drug autopsy?' is also inappropriate, and I think the statement by our minister that this was procedurally justified is very inappropriate as well."

Attorney Lee pointed out, "In this case, anyone can see that the cause of death was clearly asphyxiation. Yet, I really cannot understand why there is talk about the need for a drug-related autopsy." Generally, autopsies are conducted when the cause of death is unknown, but in this case, the cause of death is claimed to be clear.

On the 29th, about a month after the 'Itaewon Disaster,' a vinyl cover was placed over the memorial space set up at the Itaewon disaster site in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to protect it from rain. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Earlier, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon explained to reporters at the National Assembly on the 7th, "An autopsy is a quasi-judicial procedure to clearly determine the cause of death to clear the deceased's grievances," and added, "The on-site medical examiner also considered the possibility that the deceased might have been affected by drugs."

Minister Han stated, "We politely explained the situation to the bereaved families, and ultimately respected their decision not to proceed with the autopsy," and clarified, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office did not issue any guidelines to inquire about drug-related matters."

Attorney Lee also conveyed the frustration of the bereaved families regarding the investigation. Regarding the dismissal of the arrest warrant for the Yongsan Police Chief, he said, "It is difficult to readily accept the court's dismissal of the arrest warrant, which raises concerns that our special investigation team’s investigation might be insufficient. The bereaved families’ worries have increased due to the dismissal of the arrest warrant."

Furthermore, Attorney Lee said, "As the bereaved families cried out during the previous press conference urging for an investigation, they are demanding the dismissal of key commanders such as the Minister of the Interior and Safety. They insist that responsibility must be thoroughly held without any sacred cows." He diagnosed, "This case is a failure of prevention that occurred because the state did not prepare in advance for a large-scale gathering event."