People taking photos of a memorial in October 2023 to remember Halloween revellers killed in 2022 in Seoul’s Itaewon district. - Photo: ST file
SEOUL: South Korea’s Cabinet on Tuesday (Feb 3) passed a law revision to provide legal grounds to punish secondary victimisation linked to the 2022 deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, central Seoul.
The revision to the special act on investigation and other matters related to the Itaewon tragedy will be declared on Feb 10 and implemented three months later, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The revision was proposed by Representative Lee Hae-sik of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
It specifies a ban against spreading falsehoods concerning the Itaewon tragedy or defamation against those involved, mandating that the government implement measures to prevent such incidents.
Surviving victims of the tragedy can now apply for benefits for up to six months after the national commission on the incident’s investigation has wrapped up its activities, instead of within two years since the May 2024 enactment of the special act as previously stated.
The National Commission for the Investigation of the Oct 29, 2022, Itaewon Disaster will be maintained until September.
The revision also provides legal grounds for the state to research the well-being of the Itaewon victims, which will be used to prevent them from being socially isolated and suffering further side effects.
A massive number of people were concentrated in a narrow alley in Itaewon during the Halloween weekend on Oct 29, 2022, leading to 159 deaths and 195 injuries.
While the tragedy led to nationwide mourning, there have been complaints particularly from the bereaved families of the victims over verbal abuse and false news about the incident spreading online.
In January, a man in his 60s who made false claims about the Itaewon tragedy 700 times via the internet was arrested. He claimed that the bodies of the victims shown in media reports were fake and that the whole incident was staged.
This marked the first arrest since the National Police Agency launched a task force against secondary victimisation of people who died or who are related to those who died in disasters, under order of President Lee Jae Myung. - The Korea Herald/ANN
