hankyoreh

People Power Party lawmaker Lee Yong-soo (left) and Democratic Party lawmaker Park Joo-min (right), the chief deputy floor leaders of the respective parties, announce that they have come to an agreement on revisions to a bill to investigate the 2022 crowd crush disaster in Itaewon on May 1, 2024. (Yonhap)

After a bipartisan compromise on revisions earlier this week, South Korea’s National Assembly passed a bill on Thursday that mandates a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush disaster.  

In a plenary session on Thursday with 259 lawmakers present, the special act passed with 259 votes in favor, no opposition, and three invalid votes. 

Originally, a special act on the Itaewon tragedy was passed by the National Assembly in January under opposition party leadership, but it was eventually vetoed by President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Following a bipartisan agreement, an amended version of the legislation was passed on Thursday. This comes a year and seven months after the deadly crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022, that claimed 159 lives.

An announcement on the bipartisan compromise and revision was made Wednesday at a press conference at the National Assembly by the chief deputy floor leaders of the two parties, Lee Yang-soo of the PPP and Park Joo-min of the Democrats.

The legislation centers on the formation of a special commission to reinvestigate the disaster. Based on the revised plan agreed upon by the two sides, the committee is to consist of nine members based on bipartisan discussions, including one member nominated by the National Assembly speaker and four each nominated by the ruling and opposition party sides.

While the original version of the legislation had a total membership of 11, with the speaker nominating three members based on discussions with family members of victims and related groups, the revised version only states that the membership is to be based on bipartisan discussions.

The commission’s period of activity is to be one year, although an existing provision was maintained that would allow a one-time extension of up to three months.

Provisions on the commission’s direct investigation authority and right to ask for search and seizure warrant requests were to be deleted based on demands by the PPP.

The party had previously asked for revisions to what it called “toxic provisions” in the original bill — including Article 28, which stated that the commission would have ex officio authority to investigate cases involving non-transmission and suspended investigations in connection with the tragedy, and Article 30, which would empower it to ask for search and seizure warrant requests when parties refuse the commission’s demands to submit data two or more times.

Commenting on the reasons for compromise, Park Joo-min said, “There have been historical experiences where different investigative bodies have encountered difficulties with their practical investigation duties where there were no bills and institutions established based on consensus with the ruling party.”

“We also accepted this because the family members of the victims expressed their agreement,” he added.

Lee Yang-soo said the matter had been “fully deliberated, discussed, and examined with Yongsan,” referring to the presidential office.

Presidential office spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung said, “The restoration of collaborative governance and politics between the ruling and opposition parties began on April 29 with the meeting between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, and we see this agreement as the first concrete outcome from that.”

“We welcome it,” she added.

Also on Thursday, opposition parties used their majority in the legislature to pass a special act mandating an independent prosecutor’s probe into alleged outside interference in an investigation into the death of a Marine during flood rescue efforts last year. Lawmakers with the ruling People Power Party walked out of the chamber in protest of the vote. 

By Sun Dam-eun, staff reporter; Kang Jae-gu, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]