[Itaewon Disaster] Presidential Office on Interior Minister's 'Avoiding Responsibility' Controversy: "Intended to Convey Difficulty of Proactive Response"

- Minister Lee Sang-min's remarks cause controversy even at the memorial altar... Previous day: "It was not a problem that could be solved by pre-arrangement"
- Presidential Office: "The current powers or system granted to the police make proactive response difficult"

On the 16th, one day before President Yoon Seok-yeol's 100th day in office, the Presidential Office building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul is shown. President Yoon, emphasizing the elimination of authoritarianism, moved the stage of state affairs from the former Blue House to Yongsan. With the president's office relocated to Yongsan, the Blue House has been fully opened to the public. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The Presidential Office defended Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, who made remarks that seemed to evade responsibility for the 'Itaewon tragedy,' stating that "with the current authority and system granted to the police, it is difficult to respond proactively." Minister Lee expressed regret, saying, "I regret making remarks that may have caused concern among the public," and stated, "For now, I will focus on managing the aftermath of the accident."

On the 31st, a Presidential Office official met with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office building and commented on Minister Lee's remarks regarding the Itaewon Halloween incident, saying, "If there are safety management plans presented to the organizers that need supplementation, the police can proactively intervene, but otherwise, there are legal and institutional limitations," and added, "I understand that the remarks were made with the intention of addressing future improvements."

At 10:30 a.m. that day, after paying respects at the joint memorial altar set up in front of Seoul City Hall, Minister Lee stated, "There is doubt as to whether the (police and fire force response) was the cause of the accident." Following his previous day's briefing at the Government Seoul Office, where he responded to criticism about insufficient prior preparation by saying, "It is understood that this was not an issue that could have been resolved simply by pre-deploying police and fire personnel," and "We need to study more deeply whether the accident was caused by a shortage of police forces or fundamentally whether there are issues to be corrected in assemblies or gatherings," he once again made remarks that appeared to evade responsibility.

The controversy is intensifying in the political sphere as well. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Minister Lee at a party meeting, saying, "The government authorities should not anger the public with an attitude of 'I am not responsible, I have done enough,' but rather focus solely on the people and do their best to manage the situation with the mindset that everything is their responsibility."

Concerns were also voiced within the ruling party. Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, said on a radio broadcast that day, "Such words and actions that do not show understanding and solidarity with the pain of the people should be avoided," calling it "a very negligent attitude." Kim Jong-hyuk, a People Power Party emergency committee member, also pointed out, "It is not an appropriate remark for the general public to hear."

However, the Presidential Office stated that day, "Currently, the police do not have legal or institutional authority to control ordinary citizens unless it is a situation like an assembly or protest," and added, "The police can proactively intervene if requested by the organizers or if supplementation is needed, but otherwise, there are limitations." They further explained, "We will work on improving these aspects in the future, and I think Minister Lee's remarks were made with that intention."

When asked whether the Presidential Office might recommend an apology from Minister Lee or issue warnings to ministers, the response was, "The government must focus on managing the aftermath and follow-up measures, and all related ministries and public officials are expected to make judgments and act accordingly."

Meanwhile, as Minister Lee's remarks continued to cause controversy, he issued a brief statement through the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, saying, "While it is most important to accurately identify the cause of the accident to prevent recurrence, I regret making remarks that may have caused concern among the public," and "I will focus even more on managing the aftermath going forward."

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