In the Press
Nat'l Assembly passes bill mandating new probe into Itaewon tragedy
- May 16, 2024
- 121
SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Thursday passed a special bill mandating a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush that claimed 159 lives, a day after the ruling and opposition parties agreed on a compromise.
The bill, which passed in a 256-0 vote with three abstentions, calls for the formation of an investigation committee to look into the root cause of the tragedy that took place in Seoul's Itaewon district during the Halloween weekend.
The bill was put together based on a compromise that the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) reached a day earlier after resolving key contentious points, such as the committee's period of operation and method of investigation.
The compromise came two days after President Yoon Suk Yeol and DP leader Lee Jae-myung held their first talks since Yoon took office two years ago in an indication that the two sides could seek greater cooperation on legislative and other matters.
In January, the DP had passed a similar bill, but Yoon exercised his veto power against it.
The bill's passage came 551 days after the tragedy rocked South Korean society.
Under the bill, the investigation committee will not have the authority to conduct investigations ex officio or seek warrants and will operate for up to a year, with the possibility of extending its term by up to three months.
The committee will be comprised of a chair, who will be chosen following consultations between the rival parties, as well as four members recommended by each party.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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[Photo 1] The National Assembly passes a special bill for a new probe into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, which claimed 159 lives, during its plenary session in Seoul on May 2, 2024. (Yonhap)
[Photo 2] A bereaved family member of a victim of the Itaewon crowd crush lays flowers at a memorial space for the victims at the site of the tragedy in Itaewon, Seoul, in this Oct. 29, 2023, file photo. (Yonhap)
