Fourth Anniversary of the Hakdong Collapse Disaster... Bereaved Families Say "No Accountability, No Memorial Space"

Bereaved Families: "Hyundai Development Company Continues to Win Contracts... Call for Enactment of Life and Safety Act"
Democratic Party: "Man-made Disaster Caused by Illegal Subcontracting... We Will Prevent Recurrence"

On June 9, marking the fourth anniversary of the Hakdong collapse disaster in Gwangju, bereaved families and political figures called for a thorough investigation into the responsibility for the tragedy and the establishment of measures to prevent a recurrence.

The Gwangju Hakdong Disaster Bereaved Families Association held a press conference at Dong-gu Office in Gwangju that afternoon, stating, "Despite being subject to a business suspension order following the Hakdong disaster and the subsequent collapse at the Hwajeong I-Park construction site, HDC Hyundai Development Company has filed for an injunction and an administrative lawsuit to overturn the sanctions, and continues to win new contracts." They demanded, "The company must fulfill its rightful social responsibility in the wake of these consecutive disasters."

Bouquets of flowers and handwritten notes mourning the victims are placed on the road opposite the collapsed building at the redevelopment site in Hakdong 4, Donggu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

The bereaved families emphasized, "Four years have passed since the disaster, but there is still no space to commemorate the victims, and the bus involved in the accident remains neglected." They added, "The Gwangju city government, which is responsible for safety management and oversight, must immediately address the issues faced by the bereaved families." They also urged, "To prevent the tragedy of losing loved ones from repeating, the government and the National Assembly must take the lead in enacting the Basic Life and Safety Act and establishing related systems."

Political circles also repeatedly stressed the need to improve relevant systems and punish those responsible. The Gwangju City Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea issued a statement, saying, "The collapse at Hakdong 4 District was a clear man-made disaster caused by illegal subcontracting, failure to implement safety measures, and the abdication of responsibility by related agencies." The statement continued, "Poor supervision and oversight, an unreasonable demolition schedule, complacent decisions and profit-driven behavior by those involved in the project, and a disregard for safety were all causes of the disaster."

The city chapter pointed out, "Four years have passed since the disaster, but the punishment of those responsible is still ongoing," and stressed, "It is urgent to thoroughly uncover the truth and establish measures to prevent recurrence." The statement added, "We will take the lead in strict crackdowns on illegal subcontracting and inadequate safety measures, strengthening public monitoring systems, and building a system to protect victims." It concluded, "We will do our utmost to create a society where daily life is safe for all citizens, so that tragedies like the Hakdong disaster are never repeated."

The Hakdong collapse disaster occurred at around 4:22 p.m. on June 9, 2021, at the demolition site in Hakdong 4 District, Dong-gu, Gwangju. At that time, a five-story building with one basement level collapsed onto a city bus that was stopped nearby, resulting in the deaths of nine bus passengers and serious injuries to eight others.

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