The 2022 incident killed 159 people, mostly young people, and caused a national shock.
The move comes after Lee Jae Myung met with families of victims of several recent serious disasters, including the trampoline in 2022. The president's spokeswoman - Ms. Kang Yu Jung - said the above information at a press conference on July 17.
President Lee Jae Myung - who took office in June - affirmed his determination to build a safer country and prevent the recurrence of tragic accidents that have occurred due to shortcomings in the response of authorities.
The new investigation team will coordinate with a special committee established in September last year, which is tasked with reviewing all developments and responsibilities related to the Itaewon disaster.
However, during a meeting with the president, Mr. Song Hae Jin - representative of the victims' families - spoke up, saying that the police's records and some information about the government's response to the incident were not fully provided to the special committee. This raises doubts about the transparency and completeness of the initial investigation.
In front of the victims' families, President Lee Jae Myung bowed his head and apologized deeply. As head of state, I would like to officially apologize on behalf of the government for not fulfilling its responsibility to protect the lives and safety of the people and for allowing such a tragedy to kill many people, he said.
Some relatives burst into tears at the meeting when they heard the apology from the head of the South Korean government. This action by President Lee Jae Myung is seen as a tough move to restore public trust, which was hurt by the response that was assessed as weak by the authorities before, during and after the incident.
The establishment of a new investigation team and continued work of the committee is especially a testament to the government's commitment to shining light on the full truth surrounding the disaster and ensuring that those responsible will be properly handled.
