Support Procedures Established for Itaewon Disaster Victims... 801 Days After the Incident

Formation of Damage Relief Deliberation and Memorial Committees
Regulations on Support Items Including Living Allowance

More than two years after the Itaewon tragedy, the legal and administrative procedures regarding support processes and organizational structure for victims and bereaved families have been finalized. Accordingly, full-scale victim support and memorial projects are expected to be promoted.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the "Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Guaranteeing the Rights of Victims of the 10·29 Itaewon Tragedy, Fact-Finding, and Prevention of Recurrence" passed the Cabinet meeting on the 7th and will be promulgated on the 14th.

The Itaewon Special Act was passed by the National Assembly plenary session last May, 18 months after the tragedy. It centers on forming a special investigation committee to re-investigate the facts of the tragedy and having the state and local governments support the victims' daily lives comprehensively. Among these, the formation and authority of the special investigation committee faced political deadlock between ruling and opposition parties, delaying the bill's passage.

On the 29th, marking the 2nd anniversary of the Itaewon Halloween tragedy, a citizen is looking around the alleyway at the Itaewon accident site in Seoul where memorial flower bouquets have been placed.

The enforcement decree passed at the Cabinet meeting is intended to specify matters delegated by the Itaewon Special Act. First, to carry out victim relief and support tasks, a Victim Relief Deliberation Committee under the Prime Minister will be formed and operated within this month. The committee will decide on victim recognition, support funds for relief, and the scope and range of support. To efficiently handle numerous victim complaints, a separate complaint office will also open within this month.

Similarly, a Memorial Committee under the Prime Minister will be formed to promote memorial projects. The Memorial Committee will consist of relevant public officials, experts recommended by bereaved family organizations, and bereaved family members. It will deliberate and decide on all matters related to memorial projects, including the construction of memorial parks and museums and the establishment of memorial foundations.

An organization supporting both the Victim Relief Deliberation Committee and the Memorial Committee, called the "Victim Relief and Memorial Support Group," will also be established. The existing "Victim Support Group," which operated with 2 divisions and 16 members, has been expanded and reorganized into 3 divisions with 20 members.

The enforcement decree stipulates specific victim support measures, including living and medical support funds, as well as psychological and legal assistance. Living support funds will be provided to cover necessary expenses for household members of the victims, while medical support funds will cover treatment costs for physical and mental illnesses, injuries, aftereffects, and nursing care incurred by the victims.

Psychological support for victims will also be strengthened. Psychological counseling will be conducted through mental health welfare centers and the National Trauma Center, and if medical examination or treatment is deemed necessary based on the counseling results, requests for examination or treatment can be made to specialized medical institutions. The state will cover all or part of the costs incurred.

The decree also includes provisions for up to six months of "healing leave" for working victims to recover from physical and mental harm. The state will pay all or part of the employment retention costs to employers who allow healing leave. Those planning to take healing leave must submit an application to their employer at least 30 days before the scheduled date.

To promote psychological stability and community recovery for victims and residents of affected areas, a "Community Recovery Program" will be operated based on the opinions of the parties involved. The state will support all or part of the necessary costs for various counseling and advisory programs for three years.

Legal support can be applied for through the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and the Korean Bar Association. The state will also cover all or part of these costs. Additionally, provisions regarding livelihood support under the "Emergency Welfare Support Act," priority provision of childcare services, and protection and support for minor victims are stipulated.

Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "With the enactment of this enforcement decree, concrete support procedures for victims and bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy have been established. The government will do its utmost to ensure that all victims and bereaved families receive sufficient support."