Committee of lawmakers begins Itaewon tragedy inspection

Lawmakers started an on-site investigation of the Itaewon crowd crush Wednesday morning with visits to a makeshift memorial, the alleyway where scores died just months ago and a nearby police station.

Lawmakers of a special parliamentary committee investigating the Oct. 29 Itaewon tragedy conduct an on-site investigation of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno District, central Seoul, Wednesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Lawmakers started an on-site investigation of the Itaewon crowd crush Wednesday morning with visits to a makeshift memorial, the alleyway where scores died just months ago and a nearby police station.

Just a day earlier, the People Power Party (PPP) agreed to the join National Assembly's special committee for investigating the Itaewon tragedy, which is conducting the inspection, after meeting with an association of families of victims of the Itaewon disaster who pleaded for them to take part.

Only the Democratic Party (DP), the Justice Party and the Basic Income Party had been expected at the on-site inspection that day after PPP lawmakers bolted en masse in protest of a DP-led motion to dismiss Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.

"It's heartbreaking to think of the pain suffered by the victims," said DP Rep. Woo Sang-ho, a fourth-term lawmaker and chair of the parliamentary committee, at the entrance of the alleyway. "We will investigate the truth to properly find out why the accident was not prevented in advance and where the responsibility lies."

Under slate gray skies, the on-site investigation began at the makeshift memorial, located at Noksapyeong Station.

Family members of the victims at the memorial site watched on and tearfully requested police and firefighting authorities to "reveal the truth," while others asked the lawmakers why they took so long to visit.

Lawmakers then made their way to the alley next to the Hamilton Hotel, Yongsan District, where 158 people died on Oct. 29.

Nearby, a conservative civic group held a rally protesting a parliamentary probe into the disaster. The association of families of the victims requested rallies of this sort be halted.

The lawmakers — 18 in total — also visited Itaewon Police Station, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Seoul City Hall.

At the Itaewon Police Station, committee members asked questions about police response to 112 emergency hotline calls and traffic control measures. At the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's 112 hotline situation room, they examined why a Code 0 was not issued despite multiple reports of a concern over a crowd crush.

The 112 emergency calls are categorized Code 0 to Code 4, Code 0 and Code 1 requiring police to go to the site as soon as possible.

Another round of on-site visits is scheduled for Friday, with visits planned to Yongsan District Office and the Interior Ministry.

Police and Seoul city officials are conducting their own on-site inspections on Dec. 21, and Yongsan district officials and the Interior Ministry on Dec. 23.

The committee will be requesting the Prime Minister's Office, presidential office, Interior Ministry, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Yongsan Police Precinct report their observations and conclusions.

The committee plans to hold hearings calling key witnesses on Jan. 2, 4 and 6. Interior Minister Lee, Commissioner General of the National Police Agency Yoon Hee-keun and senior presidential officials could be among those questioned in hearings.

Lawmakers of a special parliamentary committee investigating the Oct. 29 Itaewon tragedy pay respects for the victims at a memorial alar in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Wednesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

On Nov. 24, the DP and the PPP established a parliamentary probe into the Itaewon disaster.

The special parliamentary committee had nine lawmakers from the DP, which holds a parliamentary majority, seven from the PPP, one from the Justice Party and one from the Basic Income Party.

On Dec. 11, the National Assembly passed a no-confidence motion against Interior Minister Lee, accusing him of negligence that led to the fatal crowd crush.

The PPP withdrew its support for the Itaewon disaster committee and all seven PPP lawmakers assigned to the 18-member parliamentary investigation committee resigned.

On Tuesday, they reversed course after PPP floor leader, Joo Ho-young, heeded to the requests made by an association of families of victims of the Itaewon disaster to return to committee.

Also on Tuesday, DP Rep. Shin Hyun-young stepped down as a member of the special committee after being accused of having of delaying the emergency response medical team's arrival at Itaewon by catching a ride on the ambulance on the night of the disaster.

A Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) ambulance reportedly arrived late to the scene because it had to pick up Shin, a former doctor at Myongji Hospital, who was heading to Itaewon.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, she wrote she is stepping down from the parliamentary probe

"If there was any inconvenience in the disaster response due to my joining, I bow my head in apology," she wrote. "As a doctor, not a lawmaker, I thought that I could play a sufficient role and help in the recovery."

She said that DP Rep. Oh Yeong-hwan will be taking her spot on the special committee.

The period of time initially allotted for the parliamentary probe is already half passed, with the investigation period running to Jan. 7, and the DP and PPP are clashing over an already overdue budget bill.

Lawmakers say that the PPP's participation in investigation could help the budget impasse.

Police are also investigation the crowd crush.

The police special investigation team filed for an arrest warrant late Tuesday for Lee Im-jae, former chief of the Yongsan Police Station, who is accused of neglecting his duties and manslaughter by negligence. He is also accused of arriving to the scene some 50 minutes after the incident and tampering with documents to conceal possible negligence.

Earlier in the month, a court denied the request for an arrest of Lee to ensure his right to defend himself.

Police have also sought arrest warrants for Yongsan District Office head Park Hee-young and two district officials.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]