Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok met with bereaved families of the Itaewon crowd crush on Thursday, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the disaster, and pledged to pursue a thorough investigation through a special inquiry committee.
Speaking at the National Assembly, where he met with representatives of the Oct. 29 Itaewon Crowd Crush Bereaved Families Council and other family groups, Kim said, "The work of uncovering the truth and establishing accountability is not over."
"I will make sure the Itaewon special investigation committee thoroughly examines the issues and delivers results that people can accept," he said. "We will also expand support for trauma recovery and the restoration of daily life, and respond firmly to secondary harm that damages the honor of victims and their families."
Kim also pledged to attend the upcoming fourth anniversary memorial. "I will be there with you to remember each and every victim," he said. "We will build a society that does not forget this tragedy and does not allow the same disaster to happen again."
The bereaved families are understood to have asked Kim, during the meeting, to allocate a budget for the special investigation committee in next year's government budget proposal, and to establish a joint investigation team — either through a new serious crimes investigation agency to replace the existing joint prosecution-police investigative body, or through a dedicated police task force.
A party spokesperson said the families raised concerns that the special committee was operating well below capacity, noting that civil servants are assigned to it on a voluntary basis but that only about half of the needed positions had been filled. "There was discussion about the importance of ensuring people work with a genuine sense of mission — through incentives and other means," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the families expressed deep anguish over the ongoing problem of secondary harm against victims. "There was also a suggestion that, as the Basic Life Safety Act is being discussed, education on the philosophy, values and empathy around life safety should be incorporated into elementary and secondary schools more broadly," the spokesperson said.
Kim is understood to have told the families he would raise their requests when he meets with the prime minister.
klee@heraldcorp.com
