Progressive Party: "Minister Lee Sang-min, Evasive of Responsibility, Resign"

"An utterly irresponsible remark that cannot be tolerated"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 1st, the Progressive Party urged the resignation of Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, stating that "Minister Lee Sang-min is making statements evading responsibility for the Itaewon disaster day after day."

On this day, the Progressive Party issued a statement criticizing Minister Lee's remarks related to the Itaewon disaster as "irresponsible comments that cannot be tolerated."

The Progressive Party pointed out to Minister Lee, "At first, he said 'there was not a particularly concerning crowd gathered,' and yesterday he also said, 'it is questionable whether the lack of police and fire personnel deployment was the cause of the accident,'" adding, "(This) reflects a complacent perception of the worst disaster that resulted in 155 deaths and denies the 'administrative vacuum.'"

They also emphasized, "Minister Lee said that police personnel were reinforced at the scene on the day of the disaster, but the deployed officers focused only on preventing crimes such as drug offenses, and despite the numerous crowd being densely packed in narrow and steep alleys, the police took no measures to protect the citizens," stressing, "The Itaewon disaster was a tragedy that could have been prevented if the government and local governments had adequately prepared in advance."

The Progressive Party also strongly criticized the Presidential Office. They said, "The Presidential Office, which defended Minister Lee's remarks, is equally absurd," and criticized, "Taking infinite responsibility for the lives of the people is the most fundamental duty of the state, and if this responsibility is not fulfilled, there is no reason for the government to exist."

They continued, "How long must we watch Minister Lee, who is desperate to evade responsibility?" and questioned, "As responsibility for the disaster is increasingly being attributed to the police and local governments, if the Minister of the Interior and Safety, the department in charge of disaster safety, draws a line saying it is unrelated to personnel deployment, the investigation, punishment of those responsible, and preparation of measures to prevent recurrence will inevitably be delayed. Minister Lee must resign immediately."

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