Itaewon with No One Taking Responsibility... Bereaved Families Demand "Unrestricted Investigation"

Another Issue Arises in Itaewon Special Act
Will the Ruling and Opposition Parties Find a Solution as Itaewon Moves to the National Assembly?

The Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment motion against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, while the bereaved families of the Itaewon disaster urged for a thorough investigation through the 'Itaewon Disaster Special Act.'

Although nine months have passed since the disaster, no one responsible has been punished, and under current laws, the minister, who is the overall disaster manager, cannot be held accountable, making a special law necessary. The opposition party also emphasized that the government is responsible for the Itaewon disaster and supported the enactment of the special law.

Earlier on the 25th, the Constitutional Court dismissed the National Assembly's impeachment request against Minister Lee. The court stated that while Minister Lee, as head of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, cannot be exempt from responsibility for the disaster, "holding him accountable solely for inadequate disaster response does not align with the essence of impeachment trials."

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min is visiting the joint memorial altar for the victims of the Osong underpass accident set up at the Chungbuk Provincial Office on the 26th and is being interviewed by the press. Photo by Yonhap News

The bereaved families of the Itaewon disaster strongly opposed the Constitutional Court's ruling. Song Jin-young, acting representative of the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association, raised her voice, saying, "This dismissal decision can only be interpreted as the Constitutional Court abandoning the people."

On the 26th, during MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Acting Representative Song said, "I believe the minister's comprehensive duties were interpreted too narrowly," adding, "Among the state's most important roles, the minister responsible for safety failed to fulfill his duties and responsibilities, and even after the disaster, made inappropriate remarks and failed to respond properly."

Acting Representative Song called for the enactment of the Itaewon Disaster Special Act. She stated, "If those responsible cannot be held accountable under current laws, a special law must be created to conduct an unrestricted investigation and ensure accountability," and added, "We will demand this until the end."

The opposition party also expressed urgency in preparing the special law. Roh Woong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on YTN Radio's 'News King Park Ji-hoon,' "To fundamentally prevent such disasters, we need to identify the structural causes of why this tragedy occurred and establish disaster prevention measures," explaining, "In that sense, the content and purpose of the Itaewon Disaster Special Act reflect this."

He continued, "Who could possibly block this law on any grounds?" and said, "Our Democratic Party, Justice Party, and all opposition parties will unite to ensure its passage and smooth implementation."

On the afternoon of the 25th, when the Constitutional Court dismissed the National Assembly's impeachment petition against Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, members of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Council and the Citizens' Countermeasures Meeting are expressing their stance in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, also stated on Facebook on the 25th, "The enactment of the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster Special Act has become even more important," adding, "I pledge to advance history that is regressing through proper fact-finding and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence."

However, the People Power Party expressed opposition to the enactment of the special law, arguing that the Constitutional Court's ruling eliminated the need for it.

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting on the 26th, "The Constitutional Court ruling clearly stated that there is no legal violation to investigate under the Itaewon Disaster Special Act," adding, "Nonetheless, the Democratic Party's insistence on pushing the special law is the height of selfishness, disregarding the court's ruling and aiming only to shake the Yoon Seok-yeol administration for political gain."

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