Meeting with Bereaved Families on Hunger Strike for 15 Days
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with bereaved families who are on a hunger strike demanding the enactment of a special law on the Itaewon disaster within this year on the 15th, and stated, "We will make a little more effort to ensure that the special law is passed within this extraordinary session."
On the same day, Lee visited the tent hunger strike site in front of the National Assembly and said, "Although it cannot be compared to the bereaved families, the Democratic Party is making great efforts to enact the special law."
The Democratic Party plans to pass the special law on the Itaewon disaster at the plenary session scheduled for the 28th. The Democratic Party's "Special Act on Guaranteeing the Rights of Victims of the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster, Fact-Finding, and Prevention of Recurrence," designated as a fast-track bill in June, was automatically submitted to the plenary session on the 29th of last month. If it is not brought to the plenary session within 60 days, it will be automatically submitted after January 28 of next year.
Lee said, "It is not 'Jininsa Daecheonmyeong' (do your best and leave the rest to heaven), but 'Jininsa Daeyeodang' (do your best and leave the rest to the ruling party). There should be a response proportional to your efforts," urging cooperation from the People Power Party.
He added in a meeting with reporters, "If circumstances allow, we should pass it unilaterally, but such matters rarely yield good results that way," and said, "The ruling and opposition parties are in maximum consultation."
Meanwhile, on the 11th, the ruling party's Secretary-General Lee Man-hee separately proposed the "Special Act on Relief and Support for Victims of the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster" apart from the opposition party. Lee's bill focuses on "victim support" without including provisions related to fact-finding, which the opposition party emphasizes.
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