▲ On the afternoon of the 14th, in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a participant bows his head at the 3rd Citizens’ Memorial Ceremony hosted by the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Family Council and the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting. 2023.01.14 Yonhap News
At the third citizen memorial service after the ‘Itaewon Disaster’ that occurred on October 29, bereaved families and citizens criticized the results of the investigation by the National Police Agency’s Special Investigation Headquarters (special version) as a ‘tail-cutting investigation’.
The ‘October 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Family Council’ (Council) and the ‘October 29 Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting’ (Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting) were held on the 14th, following the ’49th’ on the 16th and 30th of last month, ‘Us Please remember’.
On that day, 50 bereaved families and 400 citizens attended the memorial service held in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas.
Citizens said, ‘Please remember us. Punishment for those responsible for the 10.29 Itaewon disaster!’, they held up signs and shouted, “I will remember, I will not forget, I will be with you.”
There were also voices calling for a fact-finding.
Lee Jong-cheol, representative of the Itaewon 10/29 Itaewon Disaster Families Association, pointed out, “The results of the investigation into the special edition clearly show the limitations of the ‘self-investigation’, which cannot even attempt to investigate the superiors, as previously feared.”
He also criticized, saying, “Since the investigation was completed with a tail-cutting investigation and an appropriate level of investigation with a goal set, a full-scale investigation by the prosecution is inevitable.”
▲ On the afternoon of the 14th, in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, participants pay a silent tribute to the victims at the 3rd Citizens’ Memorial Ceremony hosted by the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Family Council and the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Countermeasures Group. 2023.01.14 Yonhap News
Cho In-young, a lawyer at the Public Interest Human Rights Law Foundation, argued, “The special version concluded that the special edition did not violate the specific duty of care to institutions such as the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Seoul City Hall, and the National Police Agency.”
Attorney Cho continued, “This was tantamount to agreeing with the idea that the institutions responsible for the lives and safety of the people have no specific obligations, and that ‘predictions have failed, so we need to devise measures to prevent recurrence.’”
The father of the late Lee Jae-hyun said, “I was relieved that I was going back to the old days little by little because I ate well, sang a lot, and played games with a bright appearance for a week.” I know that it hurts so much,” he said.
The late Lee Sang-eun’s aunt said, “I will work together with the bereaved families gathered here to ensure that those who did not fulfill their mission in this important position, and those who should have apologized, take appropriate punishment and responsibility.”
The bereaved families in attendance, wearing red scarves and white raincoats, shed tears as other bereaved families testified.
On this day, right behind the place where the memorial service was held, conservative group members held a counter-demonstration using loudspeakers, but there was no physical clash.
Correspondent Kang Min-hye
