The Foreign Affairs Committee, starting with a moment of silence, emphasizes "swift handling of support for foreign victims"

Park Jin "Considering Support for Foreign Casualties on Par with Our Citizens"

Foreign Minister Park Jin, Unification Minister Kwon Young-se, and Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council Seok Dong-hyun attended the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 31st, and observed a moment of silence for the victims of the Itaewon tragedy before the meeting began. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Members of the ruling and opposition parties belonging to the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee emphasized on the 31st the need for prompt government support for foreign victims of the 'Itaewon crowd crush accident' and the formulation of countermeasures at the National Assembly level.

The full meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held at the National Assembly that morning began with a moment of silence by the attendees.

Yoon Jae-ok, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should promptly carry out procedures such as funeral support for the 26 foreign victims from 14 countries who died in this incident."

Lee Tae-young-ho, a member of the People Power Party appointed as the ruling party's secretary of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, also said, "Since foreigners were also victims in this accident, if there is anything the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee can do, we will take the lead," adding, "We often say there is no ruling or opposition in diplomacy and security. I will always communicate with Lee Jae-jung, the Democratic Party secretary, and work to ensure the smooth operation of the committee."

Although the full meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that day was arranged to discuss the 2023 budget bill, fund operation plans, and proposals, reports on current issues related to the Itaewon crowd crush accident that occurred the previous day were also presented.

Park Jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, explained, "Regarding this accident, there have been a total of 41 foreign casualties so far, including 26 deaths and 15 injuries." He added, "On the early morning of the 30th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dispatched staff from the Overseas Safety Protection Center to the accident site to assess and support foreign victims. We held four emergency response meetings chaired by the minister to review the situation. We promptly notified the relevant embassies in Korea of the casualty lists and key information, and to manage the aftermath, Ministry staff were assigned on a one-to-one basis to the deceased foreigners to closely coordinate with the embassies."

Minister Park also stated, "We have received condolence or sympathy messages from the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Nations Secretary-General," adding, "We plan to send replies to each of these messages."

Going forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take necessary measures through the relevant diplomatic missions to facilitate the entry of bereaved families.

Kwon Young-se, Minister of Unification, said, "I pray for the souls of those who passed away in the accident in Itaewon," emphasizing, "The government will do its best to manage this tragic accident and follow-up measures."

He expressed gratitude, saying, "I am very thankful that our Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee gathered their intentions through a moment of silence before the meeting," and requested, "We will need a lot of your support going forward. Please unite your strength."

During the subsequent Q&A session, voices calling for support for foreign victims continued to emerge.

Yoon Ho-jung, a Democratic Party member, said, "There should be no discrimination against foreign victims regarding funeral support, compensation, or consolation money." He added, "There are stories that some foreigners saved lives by holding onto others. While managing the situation is important, I think the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should also sufficiently express gratitude to foreigners who played righteous roles during the process."

Lee Myung-soo, a People Power Party member, said, "We must ensure thorough and meticulous support regarding access issues for foreign bereaved families," adding, "Safety is the same for foreigners and nationals alike."

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party secretary, said in a phone interview that day regarding the accident, "The domestic damage is significant, but this could also become a trauma worldwide," and added, "We must do our best to prevent distrust or misunderstandings about Korea from spreading or escalating." During the meeting, he also emphasized, "It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the diplomacy built up so far is not wasted due to inadequate response."

Minister Park said, "We are reviewing ways to provide possible support to foreign victims on par with our citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.