{"id":2203713,"date":"2024-02-02T17:25:01","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T08:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2203713"},"modified":"2024-02-05T19:02:20","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T10:02:20","slug":"itaewon-disaster-bill-falls-victim-to-political-maneuvering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/02\/itaewon-disaster-bill-falls-victim-to-political-maneuvering\/","title":{"rendered":"Itaewon disaster bill falls victim to political maneuvering"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Itaewon crowd crush disaster, which resulted in 159 deaths in 2022, has become a focal point of political contention in South Korea this week following President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s veto of a bill for a \u201cspecial investigation\u201d into the tragedy, despite international and domestic calls for a thorough inquiry.<\/span><\/p>\n

The handling of this bill, from its drafting to its rejection, reflects a trend in South Korea where responses to disasters are mired in political division rather than leading to effective resolutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

All relevant political entities, including the opposition Democratic Party (DP), the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the Yoon administration, are responsible for the bill\u2019s failure and the subsequent deepening political polarization, experts told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Critics argue that their actions were driven more by electoral interests than by a commitment to address the societal impact of the tragedy or to prevent similar incidents in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

The DP, in its push for the Itaewon Special Act, granted sweeping powers to the proposed investigation committee. However, this was done without securing a bipartisan agreement, making the act contentious from the outset.<\/span><\/p>\n

The PPP, for its part, claimed that existing investigations were sufficient, ignoring persistent calls from the South Korean public and international organizations for more in-depth scrutiny and accountability.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoon, confronted with a bill seen as legally and politically problematic, chose to veto it. This decision, though based on the bill\u2019s perceived flaws, did not align with widespread public opinion that saw the disaster as indicative of state failure and sought accountability from senior officials, not just local authorities and police.<\/span><\/p>\n

The political conflict surrounding the bill ultimately detracted from what many see as the most important need arising from the tragedy: conducting an impartial investigation that seeks accountability for the victims and their families and works to ensure such a catastrophe is not repeated.<\/span><\/p>\n

PROBLEMS FROM THE START<\/b><\/p>\n

The \u201cSpecial Act for the Protection of Victims\u2019 Rights, Clarification of the Truth and Prevention of Recurrence Regarding the Oct. 29 Itaewon Disaster\u201d was <\/span>established<\/span><\/a> in response to domestic and international demands for accountability following the crowd crush.<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Nov. 2023 <\/span>called<\/span><\/a> on the Yoon administration to set up an independent body to investigate the disaster and hold responsible parties accountable, including those in senior government positions.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the PPP perceived the bill as a DP attempt to politically target administrative figures, especially due to a clause allowing the investigation committee to request special prosecution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite efforts by the Speaker of the National Assembly to depoliticize the bill, including by removing the special prosecution clause and delaying its implementation, the amended version <\/span>passed<\/span><\/a> without the support of PPP lawmakers, who boycotted the bill and walked out of the vote.<\/span><\/p>\n

Controversies within the act included its definition of victims. It recognized two categories: those who died directly or indirectly from the disaster and those significantly impacted, including families of the deceased, affected business owners and bystanders involved in rescue efforts. Both groups were entitled to compensation, including financial support and medical aid.<\/span><\/p>\n

The act also proposed a special investigation committee with extensive powers. The bill proposed an 11-member committee that would be given the authority to issue expedited search and seizure warrants, issue summons without court approval and reopen previously closed investigations.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the DP argued that these broad powers were necessary to conduct a thorough investigation, it raised questions about the committee\u2019s seeming lack of judicial oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the composition of the investigation committee was a point of contention. While the ruling and opposition parties would be able to appoint four people each, the Speaker of the National Assembly, technically unaffiliated but practically a DP member, would appoint the remaining three members. This arrangement led to concerns from the PPP about the committee\u2019s neutrality and objectivity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (center) leads a Cabinet meeting to demand the National Assembly reconsider a bill that sought a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, Jan. 30, 2024 | Image: ROK Prime Minister’s Office<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

POLITICAL DILEMMA<\/b><\/p>\n

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo voiced the administration\u2019s concerns, arguing that the bill could be unconstitutional because of the extensive powers it granted to the special investigation committee. These powers had the potential to upset the balance of power between government branches, he argued.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though the Cabinet, which Han presided over, approved a motion demanding the National Assembly reconsider the bill, the prime minister also added that he would recommend the president promise financial compensation for those affected by the disaster and a memorial for the victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoon faced a dilemma with the Itaewon disaster bill. On the one hand, the National Assembly sent this bill to his desk just weeks away from the general elections, and as Yoon continues to suffer from <\/span>low approval ratings<\/span><\/a>. Yoon was likely aware that this potentially opposition-dominated committee could threaten PPP lawmakers and administration officials ahead of the elections.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, vetoing it risked public backlash, as many see the tragedy as a systemic failure of the state. Vetoing it risked further stoking the public\u2019s anger. One of the constant criticisms Yoon has faced is that throughout the investigations that occurred previously, none of his top aides or officials faced prosecution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, Yoon chose to veto the bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

In response to the veto, the U.N. Human Rights Committee told Korea Pro<\/em> that it is \u201cconcerned\u201d about the police investigation\u2019s \u201cseveral shortcomings.\u201d It also expressed that there appears to be \u201cmany unanswered questions\u201d about the \u201clack of investigations on the legal responsibility of higher-level officials\u201d as \u201conly lower-level police officials had been investigated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Human Rights Committee regrets that the Presidential veto seems to run counter to its recommendation [in Nov. 2023] to establish an independent and impartial body to investigate the disaster,\u201d Jos\u00e9 Manuel Santos Pais, the vice chairperson of the committee, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIts central purpose would be to determine the truth, to ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice, and to provide adequate reparation and memorialization for the victims and bereaved families,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

AN INSULT<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite Han\u2019s assurance of financial compensation, the families of the victims of the Itaewon disaster remained focused on the need for a more in-depth investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the bereaved families fundamentally want is just to get more clarity on the cause of this disaster through a thorough investigation,\u201d said Lee Jung-min, the head of the victims\u2019 families\u2019 association shortly after the veto.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a statement following Yoon\u2019s veto, the association criticized the notion of financial compensation as an insult.<\/span><\/p>\n

The families and their association also contested the government\u2019s stance that sufficient investigation had been conducted, pointing out the inadequacy of the police and state-led probes. They highlighted the lack of evidence and what they perceived as misleading accounts of the causes, along with only minor repercussions for lower-level officials.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shin Jin-wook, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the Yoon administration\u2019s approach of shifting the public narrative from the need to investigate the state to portraying the state as the arbiter of justice was problematic from the start.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe proposed legislation was not perfect, but the manner in which the Yoon administration has dismissed it out of hand reflects a troubling and fundamental lack of empathy toward the families,\u201d said Jumin Lee, an attorney based in the U.S. and contributing analyst at <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike some other presidents before him, Yoon seems to see victims of tragedies that occur during his term as political liabilities first,\u201d he said, pointing to Yoon\u2019s lack of apparent sincerity toward the victims\u2019 families.<\/span><\/p>\n

The administration\u2019s \u201cshort-sighted paranoia about the effect that the Itaewon tragedy may have on its approval ratings has led it to abdicate moral leadership entirely,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visits a memorial in Seoul dedicated to the Itaewon victims, Oct. 31, 2022 | Image: ROK Presidential Office<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS<\/b><\/p>\n

Experts told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the manner in which politicians from across the spectrum have framed the victims and their families could have long-term implications for South Korean society.<\/span><\/p>\n

The victims\u2019 families\u2019 demands for justice have been overshadowed by opposition parties using them and their tragedy for political gain, while the ruling party and the administration have dismissed their concerns as manipulated by the opposition parties, experts said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Public opinion on the disaster shows a divide: more than half of South Korean respondents blame the state and support the need for reparation and a thorough investigation, but around one-third oppose using taxpayer money to address the aftermath.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts also noted a troubling trend in online discussions and media coverage. Social media posts that go viral often stigmatize the victims, while the Chosun Ilbo, a major conservative newspaper, continues to use the term \u201cHalloween disaster,\u201d suggesting it was an uncontrollable incident caused by young people participating in a celebration of foreign culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

These narratives contribute to a distorted public perception of the tragedy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shin of Chung-Ang University criticized the conservative politicians who initially downplayed the disaster as an unforeseen event caused by a large crowd seeking entertainment and labeled the bereaved families as \u201c<\/span>irresponsible<\/span><\/a>\u201d for faulting the state when they themselves \u201ccould not stop their children from going to Itaewon\u201d that night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wonjae Lee, an economic sociology professor at KAIST, criticized progressive politicians and civil society organizations supporting the victims\u2019 families. Lee said that these groups have made the families parrot their anti-government rhetoric, perpetuating a cycle of unproductive political conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last several decades, Korean society has not developed new ways to resolve conflicts and dilemmas of this nature. The primary responsibility lies with politicians who have tended to politicize every issue they can, including tragic incidents like this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As the DP does not have the votes needed to overturn a presidential veto, it is unlikely that the National Assembly will reconsider the bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

The international community is closely watching South Korea\u2019s next steps following the veto.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Committee was disturbed by reports that surviving victims of the disaster and family members of those who lost their lives in the tragedy, rather than being supported by the Government, had been subject to harassment, fines, etc. for their memorialization activities,\u201d Pais of the U.N. Human Rights Committee said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Committee believes that the ROK is mindful of its legal obligations under international human rights law, including the Covenant, and will choose a course of action to respect, protect and fulfill them in good faith.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Joon Ha Park and Lina Park contributed reporting to this article. Edited by John Lee<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Culture & Society<\/span><\/a>Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Itaewon crowd crush disaster, which resulted in 159 deaths in 2022, has become a focal point of political contention in South Korea this week following President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s veto of a bill for a \u201cspecial investigation\u201d into the tragedy, despite international and domestic calls for a thorough inquiry. The handling of this bill, from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2203714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[25,27],"class_list":["post-2203713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-culture-society","tag-domestic-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nItaewon disaster bill falls victim to political maneuvering - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/02\/itaewon-disaster-bill-falls-victim-to-political-maneuvering\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Itaewon disaster bill falls victim to political maneuvering - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Itaewon crowd crush disaster, which resulted in 159 deaths in 2022, has become a focal point of political contention in South Korea this week following President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s veto of a bill for a \u201cspecial investigation\u201d into the tragedy, despite international and domestic calls for a thorough inquiry. 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