Rival parties should stop blame game
The rival political parties have come under attack for "politicizing" the Itaewon tragedy which killed 158 Halloween partygoers on Oct. 29. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has also invited criticism, as no one has taken responsibility for causing what was regarded as a manmade disaster.
On Nov. 23, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) agreed with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and two other minor parties to conduct a parliamentary investigation into the catastrophe. The National Assembly approved a 45-day probe plan the next day. However, the fact-finding mission is on the verge of falling apart due to a brewing dispute over the DPK's demand for the dismissal of Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min.
The DPK should get the blame for using the disaster as a political offensive against the Yoon Suk-yeol government. The party is apparently seeking to block the prosecution from stepping up its corruption investigations into Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the DPK chairman, and his close confidants. It is absurd and disrespectful to try to take advantage of the deadly crowd crush for political gains.
The DPK has decided to present a motion calling for the sacking of Minister Lee Wednesday, holding him responsible for failing to take precautions against the crowd surge. The party, which holds more than half of the Assembly seats, plans to railroad the motion Friday. Furthermore, it has threatened to impeach Lee if Yoon exercises his veto power.
It appears too early to demand Lee's dismissal because the police is investigating the Itaewon case. Now is the time to find the exact cause of the disaster and then determine who should be held accountable for it. Opposition lawmakers, of course, argue that the police cannot conduct a fair and objective investigation because they have been blamed for failing to ensure public safety and respond properly to the disaster despite a series of emergency calls for help.
That's why the DPK has demanded a parliamentary probe. And then the PPP accepted the demand, raising hopes for bipartisanship. But is regrettable for the DPK to call for the dismissal of Lee before the rival parties even kick off the Assembly fact-finding mission. Shedding light on the tragedy should come first. The DPK move could be seen as political maneuvering.
This is not to defend the Yoon government which is to blame for alleged dereliction of duty. The ruling party is even considering boycotting the Assembly probe in protest against what it says is an unacceptable demand from the DPK. The PPP needs to make more efforts to narrow its differences with the DPK to avoid further political deadlock. Both parties must join efforts to discover what went wrong with the country's disaster prevention and safety system.
The Yoon administration, for its part, needs to reaffirm that police officers and bureaucrats, including Minister Lee, should face stern punishment if they are found accountable for the failed response. The public will become infuriated further if the ruling and opposition camps continue to engage in a blame game without making genuine efforts to establish a better disaster prevention and response system.
The rival political parties have come under attack for "politicizing" the Itaewon tragedy which killed 158 Halloween partygoers on Oct. 29. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has also invited criticism, as no one has taken responsibility for causing what was regarded as a manmade disaster.
On Nov. 23, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) agreed with the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and two other minor parties to conduct a parliamentary investigation into the catastrophe. The National Assembly approved a 45-day probe plan the next day. However, the fact-finding mission is on the verge of falling apart due to a brewing dispute over the DPK's demand for the dismissal of Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min.
The DPK should get the blame for using the disaster as a political offensive against the Yoon Suk-yeol government. The party is apparently seeking to block the prosecution from stepping up its corruption investigations into Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the DPK chairman, and his close confidants. It is absurd and disrespectful to try to take advantage of the deadly crowd crush for political gains.
The DPK has decided to present a motion calling for the sacking of Minister Lee Wednesday, holding him responsible for failing to take precautions against the crowd surge. The party, which holds more than half of the Assembly seats, plans to railroad the motion Friday. Furthermore, it has threatened to impeach Lee if Yoon exercises his veto power.
It appears too early to demand Lee's dismissal because the police is investigating the Itaewon case. Now is the time to find the exact cause of the disaster and then determine who should be held accountable for it. Opposition lawmakers, of course, argue that the police cannot conduct a fair and objective investigation because they have been blamed for failing to ensure public safety and respond properly to the disaster despite a series of emergency calls for help.
That's why the DPK has demanded a parliamentary probe. And then the PPP accepted the demand, raising hopes for bipartisanship. But is regrettable for the DPK to call for the dismissal of Lee before the rival parties even kick off the Assembly fact-finding mission. Shedding light on the tragedy should come first. The DPK move could be seen as political maneuvering.
This is not to defend the Yoon government which is to blame for alleged dereliction of duty. The ruling party is even considering boycotting the Assembly probe in protest against what it says is an unacceptable demand from the DPK. The PPP needs to make more efforts to narrow its differences with the DPK to avoid further political deadlock. Both parties must join efforts to discover what went wrong with the country's disaster prevention and safety system.
The Yoon administration, for its part, needs to reaffirm that police officers and bureaucrats, including Minister Lee, should face stern punishment if they are found accountable for the failed response. The public will become infuriated further if the ruling and opposition camps continue to engage in a blame game without making genuine efforts to establish a better disaster prevention and response system.
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