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NHRCK Chairperson’s Statement on Halloween Crush in Itaewon
Date : 2022.11.18 00:00:00 Hits : 1386

NHRCK Chairperson’s Statement on Halloween Crush in Itaewon


-Chairperson urges government to take appropriate action in recognition of its failure to protect people's lives and public to refrain from putting blame on victims-

 

The National Human Rights Commission(NHRCK) mourns the loss of lives in the tragic crowd crush that happened in the Itaewon District in Seoul on October 29 and offers our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We wish for a quick recovery of those injured.

 

As a national institution mandated to protect the fundamental human rights of all individuals and build a society where everyone lives with dignity, we feel deep sadness and regret for the devastation caused by the tragedy as the nation is still recovering from the consequences of the Sewol Ferry disaster.

 

The Constitution of the Republic of Korea clearly states the State’s responsibility of upholding the basic human rights of citizens, including their right to life, and protecting the citizens from the risk of disasters. This is why in the current circumstances, the State cannot avoid blame for its failure to protect the lives and safety of its citizens. 

 

Since the sinking of the Sewol ferry, the people of Korea have strongly called for the establishment of a reliable disaster management system to prevent such accidents from happening again. There was a strong public call for decisive measures from the government to ensure public safety. However, the tragedy in Itaewon highlighted that there have not been major changes since the ferry accident in the national disaster prevention and management system and the sense of responsibility of our political leadership.

 

The Itaewon accident reminds us that building a safe society is an urgent task that cannot be delayed any longer.

 

Thus, the NHRCK urges the government and the National Assembly to take the following steps. 
  
The government should fully acknowledge its failure to address a foreseeable risk of accident and protect the citizens and offer sincere condolences to all those affected by the accident. 
  
The government, in cooperation with the National Assembly, should immediately launch a probe in the accident through an investigation into state administration or creation of an independent task force team, put those responsible to account and develop measures to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents. 
  
To guarantee the right to know of the victims and their families, the government should involve them throughout the investigation process and keep them up-to-date on the progress of the investigation and implementation of the response measures.  The government should also make sure that the victims and their families are provided with reasonable compensation as well as psychological support.

 

Furthermore, we urge the public to remember that the victims are our families, friends and colleagues and refrain from indiscriminately spreading their videos or images online or shifting blame onto them.

 

The NHRCK will closely monitor the investigation into the accident and implementation of government response, and if necessary, conduct its own investigation or present recommendations on reforming related regulations. We will further strengthen our commitment to promoting the fundamental rights to life and safety of the people.

 

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