Lee Jae-myung Calls for President Yoon to Apologize before the Victims’ Portraits on the 49th Day after the Itaewon Disaster

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly on December 15. Bak Min-gyu, Senior Reporter

On December 16, the 49th day after the Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung called for President Yoon Suk-yeol to visit the public memorial altar and officially apologize before the spirit tablets and portraits. Lee is scheduled to attend the public memorial service on the 49th day after death held in front of Itaewon Station on Friday afternoon.

In a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council at the National Assembly Friday, Lee said, “Today is the 49th day after a large number of people died in Itaewon due to the government’s mistakes.”

The major opposition party leader said, “A public memorial altar with the portraits and memorial tablets of the victims was set up near the site of the tragedy for the first time on December 14, 47 days after the incident,” and stressed, “Even now, politicians must answer the people and the victims’ families.”

Lee argued, “The harsh comments by ruling party figures were so shameful, as a fellow citizen I could hardly raise my head. They were clearly secondary victimization,” and called for the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to sternly hold the members who made the blunt comments responsible.

Lee Jae-myung said that after reading the harsh comments by the government and PPP figures recently, he thought, “They are so mean. How can they lack so much empathy?” He also mentioned how one survivor ended up taking his own life.

The Democratic Party leader’s comment seemed to be targeting PPP lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. On December 12, Kweon stirred controversy after claiming that the group representing the bereaved families of the Itaewon victims could be misused by civic groups as a means for embezzlement after being consumed in a political dispute like the Sewol. In a meeting with the press at the government office in Seoul Thursday, Prime Minister Han spoke on the suicide of a teenage survivor and said, “It would have been nice if he was stronger, if he was more determined to get treated,” drawing criticism.

Lee will attend the public memorial service on the 49th day after the Itaewon crowd crush held in front of Itaewon Station at 6 p.m. Friday. He is scheduled to visit the joint memorial altar where the portraits and spirit tablets of the victims have been placed in Itaewon square and pay his last respects before attending the memorial service.

In the Supreme Council meeting Friday, Lee said, “The Yoon Suk-yeol government has begun removing Moon Jae-in Care,” and urged the government to withdraw attempts to abolish policies implemented by the previous government for political purposes. Lee explained, “At present, the national health insurance coverage rate is 65.3%, which is lower than the OECD average of 87%.” He continued and said, “When we consider the rate at which our society is aging, we need to strengthen coverage, not reduce it. Talking about abolishing Moon Jae-in Care is the same as forcing people into a situation where it’s every man for himself and dropping a bomb of medical expenses on them.”