South Korea Approves New Probe into Deadly 2022 Halloween Crowd Crush

South Korea's National Assembly has approved a bill to launch a fresh investigation into the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon district in 2022, which killed nearly 160 people.

The bill, passed in a 256-0 vote, is a compromise that removes granting full investigative power to the panel, which was previously vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The new committee will be made up of members recommended by the ruling and opposition parties, with a chair chosen through consultations. The passage of the bill comes amid growing pressure on authorities, including from relatives of the victims, to hold those responsible to account.

Why this matters: The Itaewon crowd crush was one of the biggest peacetime disasters in South Korea's history. The new investigation aims to provide accountability and address the growing public calls for answers surrounding the tragic incident.

A police investigation earlier concluded that a lack of preparation and an inadequate response were the main factors behind the deadly crush. The former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has been indicted in connection with the incident. However, no senior government figures have resigned or been sacked so far over the tragedy.

The bill envisages the creation of a fact-finding committee that will independently examine the incident for up to 15 months and report their findings to the government's investigation agencies. President Yoon had initially opposed a new investigation but later agreed to it after resolving some disputes with the opposition Democratic Party, which controls parliament.

Relatives of the victims were seen crying in the National Assembly after the legislature passed the bill. "The passage of this bill is really important for the victims' families," said Lee Jong-chul, who leads an association of the victims' families. "We will be watching the process of the investigation committee closely."

Key Takeaways

• South Korea's parliament approved a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush.
• The investigation will be conducted by a committee with members from ruling and opposition parties.
• The Itaewon incident was one of the biggest peacetime disasters in South Korea's history.
• A previous police investigation found lack of preparation and inadequate response as main factors.
• Victims' families welcomed the new investigation, vowing to closely monitor the process.