Survivors of Korean Tragedy Tragedy Publicly Request Government to Find Out the Truth and Hold Accountability

Yonhap News Agency, Seoul, November 22. The survivors of the victims of the Itaewon stampede in South Korea held a press conference in Seocho District, Seoul on the 22nd, asking the government to come up with countermeasures to prevent similar incidents from happening again, and to find out the cause of the accident and punish those responsible. This is the first official joint press conference for the survivors, and it has been 24 days since the tragedy happened.

A family member criticized that the tragedy started when the authorities failed to effectively control the flow of 130,000 people. The fact that the police did not deploy a mobile force that day reflected that the police force was concentrated at the demonstration site and the high-level security scene, while ignoring the safety of ordinary people. After the incident, the government did not organize gatherings or provide relevant places for the survivors. I originally wanted to discuss with other survivors about setting up a joint columbarium, but it was only 17 days after the tragedy that several survivors were contacted. Another survivor took out his son's death certificate and said angrily that he didn't even know the reason, time and place of his death, so how could he send the child away.

The press conference was hosted by the civic group "Lawyers for a Democratic Society." The lawyer will set up a special case team for the tragedy, and is entrusted by the 34 survivors to serve as their legal representatives. After two discussions with the survivors, the Lawyers Association finalized six major demands on the government, including an apology, finding out the truth and those responsible, mourning the victims, and countermeasures. (Finish)

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