South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party on Wednesday called for the dismissal of Interior Minister Lee Sang Min and National Police Chief Yoon He Keun over their response to last week’s Halloween tragedy, a stampede in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood that killed at least 150 people.
«Both should be removed from their posts immediately,» said Deputy Jung Chung Rai, who called for them to be brought to justice for negligence, according to Yonhap news agency.
Likewise, Deputy Jang Kyung Tae urged the mayor of Seoul, Oh Se Hoon, to resign and the president of the country, Yoon Suk Yeol, to apologize publicly for what happened.
They have been joined by other members of the formation, who have demanded a parliamentary investigation into the matter, considering that the stampede took place due to the lack of action by security forces, who received more than a dozen calls warning of the danger posed by the agglomeration.
The government’s People Power Party (PPP) has admitted the need to take action and avoid impunity but called for caution. «Now it is not necessary to act very quickly but in an appropriate manner,» said the PPP chief, who stressed that «taking action against senior officials has to take place after a proper investigation into the causes of the incident.»
