Finding the truth behind the Itaewon disaster

Public officials in charge of security, public safety and district management must take the responsibility after all the probes end.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo vowed to punish those responsible for the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon before Halloween based on the findings from the investigation of the disaster and come up with a comprehensive overhaul in the 112 emergency call system.

Upon the prime minister’s order, a special inspection team was set up in the National Police Agency (NPA). The investigation headquarters led by the Seoul Metropolitan Police (SMP) was also replaced by a special investigation headquarters comprising of 501 police officers. They raided the Seoul Metropolitan Policy Agency, the Yongsan Police Station, and the Yongsan District office in Itaewon.

The investigation is focused on the police’s response to the emergency calls during the tragic development on Saturday night. According to police findings, officers responded to just four out of 11 reports of danger from citizens there. The NPA was briefed by the SMP one hour and 47 minutes after the deadly crush. Yoon Hee-keun, commissioner general of the NPA, bowed in apology and admitted that the police response to emergency calls was insufficient and promised to find the truth behind the 156 deaths. Police chief Yoon must take responsibility for not preventing such a tragedy and for responding slowly to the disaster. Police must fully keep its promise to sincerely cooperate with the investigation by the special inspection and investigation teams.

Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min, who said the deaths could not be prevented just by dispatching police and firefighters, also should share the liability. Under the Basic Disaster and Safety Act, the minister has the duty to collect and analyze information on signs of a disaster to prevent them and remove the dangers to ensure public safety in advance. If the minister was really unaware of dangers, he must be held accountable for incompetency and neglect of duty.

Park Hee-young — head of the Yongsan District office who said the accident could not have prevented — apologized too. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also must apologize for his strange remarks that there could have been a limit to preventing the disaster even with greater security officers.

Police are taking charge of a major investigation as prosecutors have lost the authority to investigate beyond certain fields under a new law. They must come up with thorough and transparent results so that it does not invite an extra investigation from the prosecution or a special counsel. Public officials in charge of security, public safety and district management also must take the responsibility after all the probes end.