Ruling and opposition parties agree to pass ‘Itaewon Tragedy Special Act’[Editorial]

The ruling and opposition parties agreed to pass the “Itaewon Tragedy Special Act” in a plenary session of the National Assembly on May 2. A child burns incense at a joint memorial for the victims of the Itaewon tragedy in Seoul on May 1. By Chung Hyo-jin

The ruling and opposition parties agreed to pass the “Itaewon Tragedy Special Act” in a plenary session of the National Assembly on May 2. The People’s Power Party (PPP) and the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) dramatically found common ground on the key issue of the special act, which is revising the authority of a special investigation committee. It should have come earlier, but I welcome the 21st National Assembly’s agreement on the special bill. It is not yet too late to speed up an investigation to find the truth.

The Itaewon Tragedy Special Act includes a plan to form a special investigation committee to conduct a new probe into the crowd crush in Itaewon on October 29, 2022, in which 159 people were killed, and to support victims. The bill was passed in the National Assembly in January under the leadership of the opposition parties, but President Yoon Suk-yeol vetoed it because it "fosters national division and the scope and authority of the special investigation committee are excessive." The main opposition DPK pushed for a re-vote before the end of the 21st National Assembly, but the ruling PPP opposed it.

According to the ruling and opposition parties’ agreement, the special committee will consist of nine members. They will decide on one chairman, who is recommended by the National Assembly speaker, and recommend four members each. Considering that the speaker of the National Assembly is a member of the DPK, it can be said that the PPP took a step backwards. The activity period of the committee will be limited to one year under the current provision, but it will be extended by up to three months. The authority of the committee is decreased as the provisions to order the submission of data and materials and to request a search and seizure warrant are removed. The prevailing interpretation is that even if the special committee requests a warrant, the actual request and the issuance of the warrant is up to the prosecution and the court, respectively, so there is no legal problem. However, the PPP pointed it out as a poisonous clause, and DPK accepted the ruling party‘s demand with the consent of the bereaved families. I hope that the lawmakers will come up with detailed measures to improve the effectiveness of a new probe by the special investigation committee.

The government and the ruling party have so far turned a blind eye to the cries of the bereaved families, saying, ”All we want is to find out the truth.“ The government and the ruling party cannot avoid the blame of rejecting the arbitration proposal by National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and stonewalling and politicizing the case. The change in their stance may be due to the public sentiment expressed through the April 10 general election, which calls for finding out the truth. The tide turned when the president, who suffered a crushing defeat in the general election, said in a meeting with DPK leader Lee Jae-myung on April 29, ”If the issue of the special investigation committee‘s warrant request is resolved, I will not oppose it unconditionally.” Since then, the ruling and opposition parties have made some concessions and found a meaningful consensus.

It has taken too long for coming up with the bill that both parties could agree on. There is no more time to lose. The special committee should accurately identify the facts and hold the persons in charge accountable. With this opportunity, the system should be improved for the lives and safety of the people. I can still remember how the Park Geun-hye administration and the ruling party obstructed the investigation to find the truth of the Sewol ferry disaster. In the case of the Itaewon tragedy, they must remember that the people will not stand for any attempt to obstruct the probe.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.