▲ Lawmakers take part in a plenary session of the National Assembly in western Seoul on Aug. 27, 2025. (Yonhap)

Assembly-underpass flooding

Nat'l Assembly approves parliamentary probe into deadly 2023 underpass flooding

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a plan to conduct a parliamentary investigation into who should be held accountable for a deadly underpass flooding by heavy rain in 2023.

Seventeen vehicles, including a bus, were submerged as the underpass in the central town of Osong, about 110 kilometers southeast of Seoul, abruptly flooded after a nearby river embankment collapsed amid heavy rains, killing 14 people.

The National Assembly passed the plan for the month-long investigation set to run until Sept. 25. Of the 163 lawmakers present, 161 voted in favor with two abstentions.

The main opposition People Power Party did not participate in the vote after its nominations for members of the National Human Rights Commission failed to pass earlier in the session due to opposition by the ruling Democratic Party and the minor Rebuilding Korea Party.

Under the plan, the parliamentary public administration and security committee will immediately begin investigating the cause of the disaster and inspect preventative safety measures by the government.

The investigation will inspect various government branches, including the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the interior, environment and land ministries, as well as the Cheongju municipal government.

"I hope the (investigation) to determine the cause of the disaster and those responsible heals the suffering of bereaved family members and survivors and becomes the starting point to build a safe society," Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said after the plan's passage.

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