Itaewon Disaster Committee Says It Will File Complaint Against Former President Yoon Over Hearing No-Show

According to Financial News, the Special Committee for the Itaewon Disaster has decided to file a criminal complaint against former President Yoon Suk Yeol for failing to appear at a hearing on fact-finding and preventing a recurrence of the October 29 Itaewon disaster.
Song Ki-choon stated on the 13th that, before the hearing resumed, the committee convened its 53rd meeting and voted to file a complaint against former President Yoon.
Song said, "We asked the court to postpone the trial date and requested that former President Yoon appear at this morning's hearing, but he did not appear," adding, "We just held a committee meeting and resolved to file a complaint."
Under the Special Act on the October 29 Itaewon Disaster, a person who, without just cause, fails to appear at a hearing or refuses to take an oath or testify may face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.
Former President Yoon had earlier notified the committee that he would not attend, citing his trial schedule as the reason.
The Special Committee for the Itaewon Disaster asked two courts hearing cases involving Yoon Suk Yeol—the Pyongyang drone allegations and alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act—to postpone their trial dates. The courts accepted these requests, but former President Yoon again made clear that he would not appear at the hearing.
On the 10th, just before the hearing, the committee also visited the Seoul Detention Center, where former President Yoon is being held, in an attempt to persuade him to attend. However, Yoon refused to meet them and, through his lawyer, said he would not appear.
Meanwhile, the committee also voted to file a complaint against Kim Kwang-ho, former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner, who had submitted a written notice invoking his right to remain silent at the hearing the previous day. Kim refused both to testify and to take the witness oath.
After the first day of hearings on the 12th, the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Family Members' Association and the Citizens' Committee for the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster issued a statement saying that the witnesses' attitudes and any false testimony must be fully investigated. They said, "Above all, the committee must not only file a complaint against Kim Kwang-ho, former SMPA commissioner, who refused to take the witness oath to the end and evaded responsibility for the disaster even as bereaved families and victims looked on, but also hold him accountable for failing to deploy crowd-control police units," adding, "The witnesses' statements and materials all point to the leadership of the SMPA. Additional investigations are essential to determine where responsibility lies."
jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter