[사회]”Why does the state treat us like this?”… Civic organizations instead

[앵커]

The “Itaewon disaster” bereaved families, who spoke publicly about 20 days after the disaster, expressed their grievance, saying there was no government on the day of the disaster and even after.

The right to participate in the truth-finding process and the opportunity to meet other bereaved families were blocked, leaving bereaved families powerless, but civic groups came to the fore before the government.

This was reported by journalist Song Jae-in.

[기자]

Survivors of the “Itaewon disaster” who attended their first public appearance first questioned the process of transporting victims at the time of the disaster.

The disaster occurred in Itaewon, Seoul, as the victims were admitted to hospitals outside the metropolitan area.

[고(故) 이남훈 씨 어머니 (지난 22일) : 무슨 생각으로 우리 아이들 시신을 경기도 외곽으로 뿔뿔이 흩어놓으셨나요. 이태원 근처 큰 의료시설에 최소 20~30명이라도 모여있었다면….]

It was a disaster where there was no contact between the victims in the first place, and as the bereaved families stayed in different hospitals, the opportunity to contact each other was further reduced.

Even the local government operated incense burners were not an appropriate space for the bereaved families.

The censer without a tombstone and without a portrait was another wound.

[‘이태원 참사’ 유족 (지난 22일) : 저희 동의 없이 분향소에 위패 없고 영정 없는 걸 봤을 때 그 또한 저한텐 2차 가해였습니다.]

We hear news of the disaster every day, but the bereaved families have not been able to participate in the truth-finding process.

The cause of death, time of death and place of death are all unknown.

[고(故) 이남훈 씨 어머니 (지난 22일) : 어떻게 부모가 내 자식이 죽었는데 사인도 시간도 제대로 된 장소도 알지 못하고 내 자식을 어떻게 떠나보내야 합니까?]

I tried asking about other bereaved families, thinking the only thing we could comfort each other, but the government refused for privacy reasons.

[고(故) 이민아 씨 아버지 (지난 22일) : 참사 17일이 지나서야 수소문 끝에 겨우 유족 몇 분을 만날 수 있었습니다. 그것도 아무 지원 없이 무슨 비밀공작 하듯이 말입니다. 정부가, 국가가 왜 이렇게 피해자들을 대하는 것입니까.]

The government, passive in preparing countermeasures, said it thought more time was needed for the commemoration, but belatedly announced for the first time that it would prepare a related plan.

It was the civic groups that presented themselves to the government to help isolated bereaved families.

Each civic group agreed to provide professional support, from counseling and legal support to bereaved families to requesting disclosure of information to uncover the truth.

A month before the “Itaewon disaster” occurred, the bereaved families started talking for the first time, but a person-centered solution is still slow.

This is YTN Song Jae-in.

YTN Song Jae-in ([email protected])

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