The Gwangsan District Council of Gwangju Metropolitan City issued a collective statement on the 24th urging the prompt enactment of the ‘Itaewon Disaster Special Act’.
The ‘Itaewon Disaster Special Act’ is a bill proposed to clarify the facts and responsibility related to the incident on October 29 last year in Itaewon, Seoul, where 159 people died in a crowd crush accident, and to provide relief for victims and prevent recurrence through the establishment of a legal body.
Representative Jeong Jaebong, who delivered the statement, said, “The central government, Seoul City, and Yongsan District are engaged in a blame game over responsibility for the disaster and are taking a passive stance toward uncovering the truth of the accident. In particular, the government’s actions to dilute disaster management responsibility have provoked public outrage nationwide.”
He continued, “The police special investigation team’s inquiry, aimed at criminal punishment, has been a scapegoating effort, and although the National Assembly’s state audit confirmed some state responsibility, it ended up being a half-hearted investigation.”
He added, “Even now, as the first anniversary of the disaster approaches, proper fact-finding and punishment of those responsible have not been carried out, and only the suffering of victims and bereaved families continues.”
Jeong stated, “According to the Constitution and the Disaster and Safety Act, the state has the duty to protect the lives and property of its citizens by preventing disasters,” and emphasized, “The government and ruling party must take responsibility for failing to fulfill this duty and actively cooperate in uncovering the truth of the disaster and enacting the special law to prevent such tragedies from recurring.”
He explained, “The Itaewon Disaster Special Act is not a bill for political strife but aims to strengthen the state’s responsibility and role in disaster safety by clearly clarifying the facts and responsibility through the formation of an independent and fair special committee.”
He raised his voice, saying, “The bill must be promptly enacted to ensure appropriate victim relief and to establish clear measures and responsibilities for safety management to prevent large-scale disasters and tragedies.”
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