'Was the Itaewon Disaster Caused by No Event Organizer?'... Opposition: "Nonsense, Do You Need Permission to Walk on the Street?"

"Safety Responsibility Lies with Government if No Event Organizer Exists"
Minister Lee Sang-min's Statement "Arrogant and Reckless Remark Without Responsibility as Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety"

On the 31st, officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Investigation Headquarters and the National Forensic Service are conducting an on-site investigation at the Itaewon crush accident scene in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Lee Seong-man, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and deputy head of the Yongsan Itaewon Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters, criticized on the 1st the controversy over responsibility regarding the Itaewon disaster, including the issue that "there was no organizer of the event," saying it "does not make sense."

On the same day, during an appearance on MBC Radio's Kim Jong-bae's Focus, Lee said, "When I walk on the street, do I walk because I applied for it?" and added, "The belief that it is safe to walk on the street exists because the state protects it. If there is no event organizer, then naturally the entity responsible for safety is the government."

He said, "Forgetting this and saying that since there is no organizer, they are not the responsible party means they no longer have the responsibility to run the country."

Regarding the ongoing discussions about measures such as establishing regulations for events without organizers in relation to this disaster, Lee said, "If the president hears about this situation, the first thing he should say is 'I apologize to the people,' 'I should have protected the safety of the people, but I failed to manage it properly,' and 'I will thoroughly investigate this issue to ensure the safety of the people.' This is the natural order of duty." He added, "Looking at the current Yoon Seok-yeol administration or the current government, I worry that they do not have a basic understanding of what the president's responsibilities are, what the ministers' responsibilities are, and what the district mayor's responsibilities are."

Regarding Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min's remark that "this was not a problem that could have been solved by pre-deploying police and fire personnel," Lee said, "Isn't that a way of saying the accident was inevitable?" He continued, "If the accident seemed inevitable, then citizens should have been prevented from gathering in such a situation. This is not just a defensive remark but a disrespectful and arrogant expression that shows no sense of responsibility as the real Minister of the Interior and Safety."

Lee explained that this issue will be addressed by Kim Gyo-heung, the Democratic Party's secretary of the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee, during an emergency inquiry scheduled for this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party stated that it will not engage in political attacks during the mourning period for this disaster. Lee said, "We are not making political attacks," and explained, "We intend to continue verifying the issue later."

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