ed Deaths at a pop concert

Six months after the sinking of the Sewol, another shocking accident has caused 16 more people to die. It will take police two or three days to finish conducting an initial investigation, but the usual suspects ― builders of public facilities and their operators and users ― are already in the frame. All showed a total lack of awareness of safety issues.

The tragic yet absurd accident took place Friday in Pangyo Techno Valley, a multipurpose complex for technology firms located just south of Seoul, when a ventilation grate caved in and fell 20 meters under the combined weight of the victims who had stood on it to get a better view of a pop concert.

As always, various ifs come to mind that could have prevented this tragedy: if the municipal or provincial governments built it more solidly to withstand more weight, or if it were located higher, beyond the reach of most people; if the organizers of the concert had deployed a larger number of safety personnel and told them to pull down the victims, by force if necessary; if the victims had been more concerned about their own safety, etc.

The incident showed how little Korea has changed since the April 16 ferry sinking that killed 304 people, mostly teenagers in school tour. There were also fires, a train collision, and the collapse of a gymnasium’s roof this year.

Every time a major safety accident occurs, the nation goes through a period of self-reflection and people vow to prevent any such recurrence ― a commitment that only lasts until the next one occurs.

The time has long past for Koreans to ``really” think about their priorities ― growth or safety, or money or lives? Korea does not suffer from as many natural disasters as Japan. Instead, what mostly kills Koreans during times of peace is greed, haste and an almost total lack of safety awareness. For how much longer must Koreans have to listen to foreign media point out problems, such as lax enforcement of regulations and soft sentences for those that break the law in such regard?

Observing safety standards means more regulations from the government, higher costs for businesses, and inconvenience for individuals. The government should discern good and necessary regulations from bad, corporate managers ought to invest in disaster-prevention equipment and devices, and people must take part in safety drills however useless they might seem. Ensuring safety comes from cultivating the right habits. Even now, bus drivers often start their vehicles even before passengers are seated, which foreign visitors say is very scary but few, if any, Koreans complain about.

The number of fatal accidents is unlikely to decline here unless the government makes safety awareness and the following of regulations a priority policy. Companies must put valuing human life and saving people ahead of making profits, and individuals ought to fulfill their duties and abide by the rules.

To realize the importance of safety, Koreans must first change their life style and attitudes. The time has long past to begin making such changes.