Bereaved families of Itaewon disaster victims organize civic group

Members of the Association of Families of Itaewon Disaster Victims announce its establishment during a press conference in Seoul, Saturday.

By Kwon Mee-yoo

On Saturday, 42 days after the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon on Oct. 29, the family members of victims established a civic organization, demanding a full government investigation of the accident.

The organization, tentatively named the Association of Families of Itaewon Disaster Victims, consists of around 170 family members of 97 victims of the disaster, out of a total of 158 victims.

The association has requested President Yoon Suk-yeol's apology and punishment for those responsible, an investigation into the disaster without political wrangling, establishment of a place for families of the victims to communicate and a memorial space for the victims and punishment for secondary offenses towards the victims.

The family members criticized the government for not conducting a proper investigation into the accident.

Lee Jong-cheol, the father of Lee Ji-han, a victim of the tragedy, asked why the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters had withdrawn its presence from the disaster site in Itaewon without discussing it with the bereaved families.

"The government also does not provide the contact information of the family members, who have to share the grief and deal with the aftermath together," Lee said during a press conference, Saturday.

"I have been rushing to acquire contacts of the victim's families and I met about 50 of them for the first time today."

Another family member of the victims criticized government officials such as Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun for avoiding their responsibility for the deadly accident.

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), who is a close aide to President Yoon Suk-yeol, said the organization should not follow the path of the Sewol ferry disaster.

"Civic groups should not pressure the government by establishing a larger body,” Kweon wrote on Facebook on the day of the establishment of the Association of Families of Itaewon Disaster Victims. “It could be wasted in political strife like the Sewol ferry case and would be abused by civic groups to embezzle funds."

Kweon's remarks immediately faced criticism from the opposition party and civic organizations.

"What is 'like the Sewol ferry case' and why should we not choose that path? Are the families of the Sewol ferry victims some anti-government force? Are we against the government?" a family member of an Itaewon victim said during the press conference.

Rep. Lee Su-jin, spokesperson of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said Kweon dishonored the bereaved family members of the Itaewon disaster as well as the Sewol ferry disaster.

"What is the reason for cursing the bereaved families and civic groups who are asking for the truth even though the government cannot reflect on its responsibility for failing to prevent the disaster?" Lee said during a briefing, Saturday.