The 'Oseong Underground Tunnel Disaster fact-finding and prevention measures National Assembly investigation plan (Oseong disaster National Assembly investigation)' passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 27th.
On that day, the National Assembly approved the Oseong disaster National Assembly investigation plan with 161 votes in favor and 2 abstentions out of 163 members present in the plenary session held in the afternoon. This marks the adoption of the National Assembly investigation plan 774 days after the disaster occurred on July 15, 2023.
The National Assembly investigation aims to conduct a fact-finding investigation into the disaster and establish measures to prevent its recurrence. The scope of the investigation includes ▲ determining the causes and responsibility of the Oseong disaster ▲ assessing the status of safety measures established and implemented by the government and local governments ▲ the overall response measures taken by the government and local governments before and after the disaster. The National Assembly investigation will last for 30 days from today until the 25th of next month, and its duration can be extended with a resolution of the plenary session.
The Oseong disaster National Assembly investigation was requested by 188 lawmakers, including Lee Yeon-hui, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, last August. The investigation will target the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, Chungcheongbuk-do, Cheongju City, the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office, the Korean National Police Agency, the Fire Agency, Kumho Engineering & Construction, and Iljin Construction Industry. Institutions, corporations, organizations, and individuals subject to the investigation cannot refuse to cooperate with the investigation and submit materials.
The Oseong disaster occurred around 8:40 a.m. on July 15, 2023, when the Gungpyeong 2 underground tunnel in Oseong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, was flooded. The accident resulted in 14 deaths and 16 injuries.
Shin Jeong-hoon, the chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Public Administration and Security from the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "We adopted this plan after in-depth discussions regarding the purpose, scope, methods, and target institutions of the National Assembly investigation," adding, "We will clarify accountability through a comprehensive investigation of the entire incident and establish measures to prevent its recurrence."