Itaewon Disaster Special Investigation Committee Elects Song Gi-chun as Chairman... "Measures to Prevent Recurrence"

Resolution on the Establishment of Rules for Requesting Truth Investigation

The Special Investigation Committee for the Truth-Finding and Prevention of Recurrence of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster announced on the 23rd that it has elected Song Gi-chun as the standing committee chairman.

The Special Investigation Committee for the Truth-Finding and Prevention of Recurrence of the Itaewon Disaster has begun full-scale activities starting with its first meeting. At the first meeting held on the 23rd at the National Human Rights Commission in Jung-gu, Seoul, Chairman Song Gi-chun is presiding over the meeting. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@

On the same day at 10 a.m., the Special Investigation Committee held its first plenary meeting in the main conference room of the Special Investigation Committee located in Jung-gu, Seoul, where it elected the chairman and passed the regulations on the application for truth-finding investigation. This comes four months after the special law on the Itaewon disaster was promulgated and enforced in May.

The Special Investigation Committee will accept applications for truth-finding investigations from next month 2nd until June 30th of next year. The Special Law on the Itaewon Disaster defines victims as bereaved families of the deceased, those who suffered physical, mental, or economic damages, and people who participated in emergency rescue and recovery efforts despite it not being their duty. These individuals can apply for truth-finding investigations.

Chairman Song said, “The Special Investigation Committee will strive to operate objectively and fairly while empathizing with the grief and pain of the victims,” adding, “We will accurately identify the causes of the Itaewon disaster and clarify whether there were shortcomings in the response, in order to derive measures to prevent recurrence of such disasters.”