Bill Prohibiting Secondary Harm to Itaewon Disaster Victims and Bereaved Families Approved by Assembly Subcommittee

Prohibition and Punishment of False Information and Insults

The amendment to the Itaewon Disaster Special Act, which enables the punishment of insults and defamation against the victims and bereaved families of the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster, passed the threshold of the Second Subcommittee on Bill Review of the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee on November 26.

The Second Subcommittee on Bill Review of the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee approved the amendment to the Itaewon Disaster Special Act on this day. The amendment prohibits and allows punishment for secondary harm such as spreading false information, defamation, and insults against the victims and those affected by the Itaewon Disaster.

The amendment also includes provisions requiring experts to take an oath or submit a written oath when the Special Investigation Committee for Fact-Finding and Prevention of Recurrence of the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster (Special Committee) requests an appraisal.

The National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee's Second Subcommittee on Bill Review approved the amendment to the Itaewon Disaster Special Act on this day. Yonhap News

On the same day, the subcommittee also passed the amendment to the Assembly and Demonstration Act, which allows rallies near the presidential residence and the official residences of the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the President of the Constitutional Court, as well as the amendment to the Police Officers Act, which adds drug addicts as a reason for disqualification from police officer appointments.

The amendments to the Political Parties Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Public Official Election Act, which include the revival of local party organizations known as "district parties," will continue to be discussed in the Special Committee on Political Reform to be formed in the future.

The amendment to the National Referendum Act, which introduces early voting, overseas voting, and shipboard voting for national referendums, was also submitted to the subcommittee on this day but will be discussed further at a later time.