"158 Bereaved Family Members Still Not in Their Right Mind... Responsible Officials Must Be Dismissed"

Interview with Victims' Families of Itaewon Disaster
Ministry of the Interior Support Team Launched... But No Contact Yet
"Minister Lee Sang-min, the Chief Safety Officer... Must Be Dismissed"

On the 28th, about a month after the tragedy, a plastic sheet was covering the memorial space at the Itaewon accident site to protect against rain.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] "The only action I can take for my sister, who I can no longer see or touch, is to hold the person responsible for safety accountable." On the 3rd, in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Lee Min-jae (32), the younger brother of the late Lee Eun-jae (34), a victim of the Itaewon tragedy, appeared exhausted. Every time he mentioned his sister, tears flowed incessantly.

However, his message was clear. He insisted that Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min must take responsibility for the Itaewon tragedy. Lee said, "The 158 bereaved families are still not living in their right minds. The way to comfort them is for the person ultimately responsible for safety to take full responsibility," and cried out, "Minister Lee must deeply reflect on the responsibility for the deaths of 158 people and be dismissed."

Lee first heard the news that his sister was at the Itaewon tragedy site at 12:30 a.m. on the 30th of last month, the day after the disaster. His parents and family waited sleeplessly for news of Eun-jae. They prayed with thoughts like "Maybe not," or "It might not be true," but six hours later, the police called. They confirmed the identity of his sister among the deceased. On the way to Seoul after receiving the call, Lee kept repeating to himself, "This can't be happening."

Lee said that now the family sits together without crying, fearing that if one family member breaks down, others might collapse as well. However, at dawn, cries leak from his parents' room. Lee said, "My parents have not been able to sleep for a month," and added, "My father, who already had a weak heart, has gotten even worse." Since the tragedy on the 29th of last month, Lee's family can no longer return to how things were before.

What made Lee feel powerless was the government. He has not received any explanation from the government about how things are progressing. Although the Ministry of the Interior and Safety launched a task force (TF) called the 'Itaewon Tragedy Ministry of the Interior and Safety Support Team' on the 30th of last month to support the bereaved families, Lee has not received any contact. He was the one who reached out first. On the 2nd, he called the support team to ask what kind of support would be provided to the families and when, but the team only repeatedly apologized. When asked what they had done three days after launching, the support team remained silent.

With no government support, Lee sought out contact information for the bereaved families as if fighting a lone battle. He said, "The families I know contact information for were found through acquaintances. Those in rural areas or elderly families probably have no way to get in touch and are suffering alone. I cannot understand why powerless individuals have to spend their time just to meet the bereaved families in this situation."

Lee also said his heart breaks over the fact that only the field workers are being held responsible. He believes that those higher up, responsible for manpower allocation and other matters, should show accountability rather than just the police or firefighters who worked hard on site. Lee said, "I still don't know why the riot police, who were deployed every year during the Itaewon Halloween festival, were absent this year, or why Minister Lee's whereabouts on the day of the tragedy have not yet been revealed," and added, "I don't even know if the special investigation headquarters has the will to investigate those higher up."

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