Gongju City: "Reports of Administrative Failure and Avoidance of Responsibility in Bammasil Night Market Food Poisoning Are Untrue"

Full Compensation Proactively Completed, Responsibility Clearly Defined
"Distorted Narratives Must Be Corrected"

In response to recent administrative responsibility controversies raised by some media outlets regarding the 'Gongju Bammasil Night Market Food Poisoning Incident' that occurred on June 7, Gongju City in South Chungcheong Province has issued an official rebuttal.

The city stated that it had already completed proactive measures and full compensation immediately after the incident, and clarified that reports distorting the party responsible are not based on facts.

According to the city on December 23, from December 20 to 22, some media outlets reported that Gongju City was avoiding responsibility without clear countermeasures regarding the 'Gongju Bammasil Night Market Food Poisoning Incident', and pointed out that the failure of night market vendors to enroll in food liability insurance was due to lax management and supervision.

There were also claims that the city was shifting the burden of compensation for damages onto private vendors.

In response, the city stated, "We prioritized citizen safety and responded immediately after the incident," and refuted, "Reports defining this as administrative failure or avoidance of responsibility are not true."

The city quickly identified the victims after the incident, convened an emergency night market operations committee, and decided to temporarily suspend the night market. When concerns about delayed compensation arose, a dedicated task force was established.

In particular, the city explained that compensation amounts for each victim were objectively calculated by an external professional loss adjuster, and compensation was proactively paid through the Gongju Cultural Tourism Foundation, the supervising agency, thereby completing 100% of the compensation process.

Regarding the controversy over vendors not enrolling in food liability insurance, the city clarified that the party responsible is clear. The night market vendor contract explicitly stipulates the obligation to enroll in food liability insurance, and this is a basic legal and contractual responsibility that must be borne by the operator, who directly generates profit.

The city stated, "It is unreasonable to shift responsibility to the administration simply because it did not individually verify insurance enrollment, when the party in question failed to fulfill their contractual obligations."

The city also emphasized that food liability insurance purchased by operators and insurance purchased by public institutions differ in purpose and nature.

Operator insurance is intended to provide indemnity, compensation, and defense for the organizer and related institutions in the event of an accident caused by the supplier's negligence, whereas public institution insurance is designed to cover general accidents that may occur during the operation of the event.

Regarding the Gongju Cultural Tourism Foundation's claim for indemnity against the party responsible for the incident, the city stated, "Taking legal action to recover compensation paid in advance with citizens' tax money is a legitimate measure for fair responsibility sharing and protection of public finances."

The city emphasized, "We will further strengthen the safety management and supervision system for overall event operations as a result of this incident," while also stating, "We hope that reports based on inaccurate information do not undermine public trust in the administration."