Osong Bereaved Families: "Handwritten Text Letters? Feels Like Harassment, Not an Apology"

"Kim Young-hwan's Handwritten Letter, Sent as a Text"
"Police Innocent? ... Can It Be Said They Are Completely Without Fault?"

Choi Eun-kyung, co-representative of the Osong Disaster Bereaved Families Council, criticized the authorities responsible for the accident, saying they are "just passing the blame around and putting on a show."

She said they requested an extension of the joint memorial altar for the victims set up at the Chungbuk Provincial Office, but the office refused, citing the need to "focus all efforts on flood recovery and determining the cause," adding, "It seems like just an excuse to quickly make it disappear from sight."

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 28th, Choi explained the reason for forming the bereaved families council: "No one informed us, we didn't know who to ask, and it was frustrating and very unfair, so we united to raise a collective voice."

On the 17th, members of the Central Maritime Special Rescue Unit of the Korea Coast Guard, along with fire departments and related agencies, are searching for missing persons in the flooded Gungpyeong 2 Underpass in Osong-eup, Cheongju, Chungbuk, caused by heavy rain. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding Chungbuk Governor Kim Young-hwan's handwritten apology letter to the bereaved families, Choi said, "(He) sent it by text message," and added, "How is this a handwritten letter?" She continued, "We told them through the bereaved families council that we would inform them of meeting schedules or interview appointments after consultation, but the secretariat kept sending texts, and then sent this so-called handwritten letter by text message. Honestly, it feels more like harassment than an apology."

About President Yoon Suk-yeol not visiting the Osong underground passage disaster site, she said, "The victims passed away so unfairly, but the president seems to think that is not important," adding, "As citizens fulfilling our tax and military duties, doesn't the country have an obligation to protect its people? If that protection was not provided, shouldn't there be some words of apology or a visit to show more concern?"

Choi said regarding Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min's visit to the joint memorial altar, "We were holding the founding ceremony press conference of the bereaved families council that day, and we didn't even know the minister was coming," adding that they received no prior contact.

On the situation where dozens of wreaths supporting the police, who are suspected of poor response during the accident, are being delivered in front of the police station, Choi said, "There are so many situations that hurt us bereaved families twice," and expressed, "I am very angry. Why are wreaths being sent there?"

Regarding the police's resistance, claiming "only lower-level officers, not higher-ups, are being held responsible," Choi responded, "It feels like scapegoating, but at least they either did not respond or cannot claim they were completely blameless," adding, "The investigation is still ongoing, so why are they so aggrieved? Are they more aggrieved than us bereaved families?"

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