Hunger Strike Begins: Itaewon Bereaved Families Urge Ruling and Opposition Parties to Agree on Special Law Legislation

Bereaved Families Begin Hunger Strike in Front of National Assembly from the 20th
"Why Feel Threatened by Truth Investigation and Punishment of Responsible Parties?"

Lee Jeong-min, acting representative of the bereaved families' association of the victims of the October 29 Itaewon disaster, commented on the Democratic Party of Korea adopting the Itaewon Disaster Special Act fast-track designation as the party line, saying, "Since bipartisan agreement is the smoothest way to pass the bill, we hoped for bipartisan consensus, but time was too tight and much time was delayed. We decided to designate it as a fast-track first and then try to draw consensus from the ruling party."

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 23rd, Lee said, "I think it will be very difficult to reach bipartisan agreement, but we are asking the opposition party to bring about consensus, and we will continue to make efforts until the end."

Regarding the ruling party's opposition to the special law due to the issue of the 'Investigation Committee Recommendation Committee formation,' Lee responded, "I want to ask the opposite question," adding, "The ruling party's three members and the opposition's three members are neutral, so there should be no objection, but the problem is that they say the three bereaved family members are not neutral and objective." The special law stipulates that the Investigation Committee Recommendation Committee be composed of three members each recommended by the ruling party, the opposition party, and the bereaved families' organizations.

On October 20th, Lee Jeong-min, Acting Representative of the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association (left), and Choi Seon-mi, a member of the association's steering committee and mother of the late Park Ga-young, a victim, began a hunger strike in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, urging the enactment of a special law for the Itaewon disaster. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee said, "Such remarks represent that the ruling party already regards the bereaved families as enemies. They feel some kind of crisis about the bereaved families sincerely demanding truth-finding and punishment of those responsible," and questioned, "If there is no problem and they are confident, why do they feel resistance?"

He continued, "Even if there are concerns about that part, it can be coordinated and negotiated with the opposition party and the bill," and criticized, "Not doing so and just making such remarks continuously means they are not properly fulfilling their duties as lawmakers who make and participate in the bill."

Regarding the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's opposition to the special law on the grounds that it 'overlaps in nature and function with existing administrative agencies,' Lee criticized, "I don't know which administrative agency they say overlaps in nature and function."

Lee said, "As has already been revealed, all administrative agencies are intertwined like gears, operating in a distorted manner," and added, "Isn't it impossible to have a proper truth-finding process this way?"

He added, "What I can say clearly and definitely is that even if it overlaps in nature and function with existing administrative agencies, the special law is necessary because of one most important fact," and said, "Existing administrative agencies lack fairness and common sense, which President Yoon Seok-yeol always repeats like a mantra. We believe an independent investigative body can fulfill this role."

The bereaved families' organizations have been conducting a hunger strike in front of the National Assembly since the 20th to urge the enactment of the special law. Lee said, "So far, it is bearable," adding, "When our children were sacrificed, there was pain hundreds of times greater than this, so we can endure this level of pain."

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