Seoul City Second Warning... "Is the Memorial Altar Illegal, Should It Be an Object of Compassion?"

Itaewon Tragedy Memorial Altar Ordered to Be Dismantled by 1 PM on the 8th

[Asia Economy Reporter Seong Gi-ho] The Seoul Metropolitan Government has sent a second warning notice ordering the bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy to voluntarily dismantle the memorial altar set up at Seoul Plaza by 1 p.m. on the 8th.

On the 6th at 5:30 p.m., Seoul City issued this order through the second warning notice sent to the Itaewon tragedy citizens' memorial altar at Seoul Plaza. If the altar is not dismantled within this period, Seoul City will proceed with forced removal through administrative execution.

On the 6th, a citizen is paying tribute to the victims at the joint memorial altar for the 1029 Itaewon disaster victims installed in front of Seoul City Hall Plaza. The Itaewon Disaster Citizens' Countermeasures Committee and the Bereaved Families' Association set up the altar at Seoul Plaza on the 4th, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government warned that if the altar is not voluntarily removed by 1 PM on the 6th, administrative enforcement will be carried out. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Oh Shin-hwan, Seoul City Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs, stated in a press release after the second warning, "Some political circles claim that Seoul City should show compassion because it is the grief of the bereaved families," and asked, "Do these claims mean you agree that illegal occupation of public facilities should be treated with compassion?"

He continued, "As a law enforcement agency, Seoul City has a firm principle," emphasizing, "Under no circumstances can facilities that have been illegally, unauthorizedly, and suddenly installed without prior notice be approved retroactively."

Deputy Mayor Oh added, "Seoul City fully empathizes with the grief and condolences of the bereaved families," and said that discussions between the families and Seoul City regarding the memorial altar and condolence space will continue, but reiterated that the clear principle regarding the management of these facilities will remain unchanged."

Earlier, Seoul City had sent a warning notice to the bereaved families, warning that if the memorial altar was not voluntarily dismantled by 1 p.m. on that day, administrative execution would be initiated. However, since forced removal is difficult with only one warning notice and court precedents require at least two, the administrative execution was temporarily suspended.