President Lee Jae-myung ordered an investigation related to the Itaewon tragedy, saying, "If necessary, there should also be the power to conduct compulsory investigations," and instructed to carry out investigations in conjunction with the investigating authorities.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong reported during a briefing on the morning of the 17th what was discussed the previous day (16th) during a closed-door meeting titled "Memory and Comfort, Dialogue for Healing," held at the Blue House guesthouse. Families of the victims from the Sewol, Itaewon, Osong, and passenger plane tragedies, as well as senior officials from relevant ministries, attended the meeting.
At the meeting, President Lee stated, "The truth of the Itaewon tragedy has not been revealed itself. Is it not overly limited due to the so-called special law?" and added, "If necessary, the special committee on the Itaewon tragedy should have the power to conduct compulsory investigations. Since the police and prosecution are participating, I will organize an investigation team for the Itaewon incident to investigate alongside the special committee," he promised. Following the president's remarks, there was a big round of applause from the bereaved families, and some of them were reported to have tears in their eyes.
The 'Special Investigation Committee for the Truth Finding and Prevention of the 10.29 Itaewon Tragedy' began its investigation last month, about 2 years and 7 months after the tragedy occurred. Major investigation targets include the victim's actions until family transfer, issues regarding crowd control and response at that time, the impact of the presidential office's transfer to Yongsan, and secondary harm. However, there have been criticisms that the special committee lacks compulsory investigation powers, such as the authority to request search and seizure.
President Lee also directed that arrangements be actively considered for foreign bereaved families to attend the 3rd anniversary event of the Itaewon tragedy, in response to requests to pay special attention to foreign victims.
Regarding the bereaved families' request to push for a national investigation into the Osong underpass tragedy, he expressed agreement, saying, "It is meaningful and necessary to discuss the Osong tragedy in a public forum with the people," but noted, "However, there are some difficulties due to opposition from the opposition parties. I will look into it."
Regarding the 12.29 passenger plane tragedy, the spokesperson reported that President Lee expressed condolences, stating, "In this new government, all public officials in every department will resolve to do their best to prevent unfortunate accidents and ensure that no one loses their life," and urged, "However, unlike the Itaewon tragedy, there is no reason to distort this incident politically, so let's first wait for the investigation results."
According to the briefing, President Lee designated the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as the responsible ministry for the Osong underpass tragedy and instructed the establishment of a dedicated investigative organization for the secondary harm issues faced by the victims' bereaved families. He also stated regarding the trauma support requests from the bereaved families of the Sewol tragedy, "I will consider how to provide as broad protection and treatment for trauma victims as possible."