Restoration of honor for victims, investigation without sanctuary, request for establishment of memorial space
“Don’t go on the Sewol ferry road” Kwon Seong-dong, “Hide the truth” anger
The October 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereavement Association is holding a press conference to declare its founding in Dalgaebi, Jung-gu, Seoul on the 10th. yunhap news
The bereaved families of the victims of the ‘Itaewon Halloween Tragedy’ launched the Council of Bereaved Families of the October 29 Itaewon Tragedy (Bereaved Family Council) to denounce the government’s lukewarm response. Even though 43 days have passed since the disaster, the government is still ignoring the voices of the bereaved families, so they are taking collective action. The bereaved family council called for the dismissal of Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min, demanding the investigation of the truth and punishment for those responsible.
The Association of the Bereaved Families said at a press conference for the establishment declaration held at Dalgaebi, a conference hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 10th, “We are launching the Council for the purpose of restoring the honor of the victims, complete memorial, and thorough truth and accountability for this.” They demanded a parliamentary investigation into state affairs, an investigation without sanctuary, a communication space for the bereaved families and a space to commemorate the victims, and an active response to secondary abuse. The bereaved family council, which includes 170 bereaved families of 97 victims of the disaster, plans to register as a separate corporation in the future and voice its voice once morest the government, the National Assembly, and local governments.
“I declare that I will do everything in my power to uncover the unfair deaths of the victims who faced unexpected dangers and had to end their lives in vain,” said Lee Jeong-min, the father of the late Lee Ju-young, vice president of the Bereaved Family Association. They say that the government should take responsibility for causing loss of life by failing to take any precautionary measures even though a large crowd was expected, ignoring the voices of victims requesting rescue, and failing to properly deal with the situation following the disaster.
The bereaved family council asked the government to guarantee communication between the victims of the disaster. Lee Jong-cheol, the father of the late Lee Ji-han, the representative of the Bereaved Family Association, said, “I went around like crazy trying to find the contact information of the bereaved family for regarding 40 days following the disaster.” He said, “The Ministry of Public Administration and Security and the Seoul Metropolitan Government said, ‘The bereaved families can only receive trauma treatment if they meet, talk, cry, and hug each other,’ but they replied, ‘Get psychiatric treatment.'”
Representative Lee Jong-cheol insisted, “After the dissolution of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the Itaewon Accident, when I called the ‘One-Stop Integrated Support Center,’ they said, ‘There has never been an order to communicate with the bereaved family, and there is no plan to communicate with them.’”
In addition, the bereaved families were angry that Rep. Kwon Seong-dong of People’s Power said, “You should not go the same way as the Sewol ferry” ahead of the launch of the bereaved family council. Rep. Kwon posted such an article on social media, saying, “It is likely to be consumed as a means of embezzlement by civic groups following being consumed in political strife like the Sewol ferry.”
Deputy CEO Lee Jung-min said, “What is the road the Sewol ferry went on, and can’t we go?” “The government turned a blind eye to the demand to ‘gather the bereaved families together and offer a sincere apology as a person in charge.’ Why are you already splitting up and misrepresenting the truth?” he raised his voice. Mr. A, the mother of the late Kim Hyeon-soo, said, “I still have a pain in my heart, so I mightn’t even go to my son’s enshrinement.”
CEO Lee Jong-cheol also said, “You must have known what happened on October 29th. (Rep. Kwon) pointed out that he did to us what we shouldn’t have done as human beings.”
After reading the founding declaration of the bereaved family council that day, the bereaved families shouted slogans, “Exile Lee Sang-min.” Some of the bereaved families wept during the press conference, and one of them fainted and was taken to 119 ambulance. The bereaved family council plans to hold a memorial service for the 49th Itaewon disaster at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 16th.
