Relatives of the victims of the Itaewon disaster held a press conference today (22nd) in the conference room on the 1st basement floor of the Standard Building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, hosted by the 'Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) 10/29 Itaewon Disaster Truth Investigation and Legal Support Task Force' (TF). and asked the government for thorough recurrence prevention measures and punishment for those responsible.
It is the first time in 24 days since the disaster that the bereaved families held an official press conference together.
Lee Jong-gwan, who lost his daughter Min-ah, cried, saying that he was an ordinary child who worked at a job during the day while studying at the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Korea National Open University.
He said, "The beginning of this disaster and tragedy was the failure to properly manage the crowd of 130,000 people." and criticized.
He also said, “After the disaster, the government did not organize a meeting for the bereaved family or secure a space for psychological stability.” I could,” he complained.
The mother of the deceased Lee Nam-hoon held up her son's death certificate and said, "How can I let my son go without knowing the cause, place, or time of death?"
Lee's mother said, "Even now, at 5:30 in the morning, the alarm my son set to go to work rings without fail." I can't hear you," he sobbed.
Since the formation of the TF, Minbyun has received the request of the bereaved families of 34 victims and has been legally representing them.
The requirements are ▲ sincere apology ▲ strict and thorough accountability without sanctuary ▲ truth and accountability that guarantees participation of victims ▲ active support such as guaranteed communication and humanitarian measures for victims of the disaster ▲ active measures for complete memory and commemoration of the victims ▲ Statement of position and preparation of specific countermeasures to prevent secondary harm.
Attorney Seo Chae-wan of Minbyun said, "We will make an official announcement after consulting with the bereaved family."
(Photo = Yonhap News)