Opposition parties urge ruling party to return to parliamentary probe into Itaewon tragedy

▲ Opposition members of the special committee in charge of a parliamentary investigation into the Itaewon tragedy speak at a joint press conference held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 13, 2022. (Yonhap)

opposition parties-Itaewon tragedy

Opposition parties urge ruling party to return to parliamentary probe into Itaewon tragedy

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- Opposition parties on Tuesday urged lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to return to the special committee in charge of a parliamentary investigation into the Itaewon tragedy after they threatened to quit the committee en masse.

The PPP members of the committee offered to leave the committee in protest Sunday, shortly after the National Assembly, led by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), passed a motion calling for the dismissal of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.

The PPP has strongly opposed the dismissal motion, arguing it makes no sense to hold the minister responsible for the tragedy even before the parliamentary investigation determines who is responsible for the disaster that killed 158 people in Seoul's Itaewon district on Oct. 29.

The opposition committee members said in a joint news conference that unless the PPP members express intention to return to the parliamentary probe committee Tuesday, they will take that as meaning that they delegated all their authority in setting the probe schedule and selecting witnesses to the three opposition parties.

They also said the committee will begin a full-scale parliamentary investigation Wednesday.

The 18-member special committee comprises nine members from the DP, seven from the PPP, and one each from the minor opposition Justice Party and the Basic Income Party.

Last month, the Assembly kicked off a 45-day probe into the Itaewon crowd crush after the rival parties reached a compromise deal to hold the probe after they deal with the government budget proposal for next year. The probe is set to run through Jan. 7.

The opposition members of the committee also accused the government of not cooperating with the committee's request to submit documents related to the crowd crush, saying they will have to extend the probe period if this continues.

Victims of the Oct. 29 tragedy also held a news conference at the Assembly on Tuesday, calling on the parliament and the government to properly conduct the parliamentary probe to "check the accountability of the state that failed to fulfill their responsibility to protect the lives of its people."

Meanwhile, DP floor leader Rep. Park Hong-geun slammed President Yoon Suk-yeol for saying the interior minister's dismissal should be considered after probes into the crowd crush are completed in a party meeting held earlier in the day.

"Minister Lee can make an apology at the very least by stepping down," Park said, noting the ongoing police investigation into the case and the parliamentary investigation cannot be properly conducted with Lee keeping his position.

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