Human Rights Commission Investigates Police for Neglecting Secondary Harm Near Itaewon Memorial Site

On December 22 last year, conservative groups such as Shin Jayu Yeondae had banners posted near the 10.29 Disaster Citizen Memorial Altar set up at Itaewon Plaza in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has launched an investigation, reporting that the police's response to secondary harm inflicted near the Itaewon disaster citizen memorial altar was insufficient.

According to civic groups on the 9th, the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster Citizen Countermeasures Meeting stated yesterday that it had verbally requested urgent relief from the NHRCK on December 30 last year, reporting that the Yongsan Police Station's response to the protest by the conservative group Shin Jayu Yeondae was inappropriate.

An NHRCK investigator visited Itaewon Square, where the citizen memorial altar was set up, on December 30 last year and conducted an on-site investigation. Instead of granting urgent relief to the Yongsan Police Station, the NHRCK plans to continue the investigation by accepting it as a petition case.

Shin Jayu Yeondae is holding assemblies and protests near the citizen memorial altar. They are known to be inflicting secondary harm on the bereaved families of the disaster victims with slogans such as "Political agitators at the Itaewon disaster memorial, step down." The 10·29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association filed for a preliminary injunction on December 29 last year at the Seoul Western District Court to prohibit Shin Sang-jin, the representative of Shin Jayu Yeondae, and Shin Jayu Yeondae from approaching the memorial altar.