[Exclusive] Ruling Party Files ‘Social Disaster Countermeasures Bill’ Ahead of Fourth Anniversary of Seoul Halloween Crowd Crush

[Financial News] With the fourth anniversary of the 10.29 Seoul Halloween crowd crush about two weeks away, legislation is being pursued to overhaul systems for preventing and managing social disasters, including accidents involving large gatherings. The aim is to reduce gaps in disaster preparedness by setting out in a separate law recommendations to suspend events and disperse crowds in cases of overcrowding, as well as the management of high-risk areas.
According to the National Assembly’s bill information system on the 12th, Kim Young-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea filed as lead sponsor on the 8th a bill containing these provisions, titled the ‘Social Disaster Countermeasures Bill.’ It is intended to establish a management system suited to the nature of social disasters, following the Itaewon disaster and the paralysis of administrative information systems caused by a fire at the National Information Resources Service.
The current Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety combines provisions that apply across all disasters with provisions on certain social disasters, such as accidents involving large gatherings and local festivals. The bill focuses on moving and reorganizing the relevant provisions in a separate law, while strengthening advance preparedness for potential risks and cooperation among agencies.
A key measure directly related to the Itaewon disaster is the prevention of disasters involving large gatherings. If the head of a central administrative agency or a local government head determines that dense crowds make it difficult to maintain order and ensure safety, they may recommend that the owner or occupant of a facility or venue, or the event organizer, suspend the event, or recommend that people gathered there disperse.
The bill also strengthens responsibility for the safety management of local festivals and events. Central administrative agencies and local governments must draw up safety management plans when holding events, while private organizers must report them in advance to the relevant local government. Administrative fines of up to 20 million won may be imposed for failing to prepare or report a safety management plan, or for violating requests to supplement a plan or obligations to implement it.
Places facing high disaster risks or requiring ongoing management may be designated as ‘social disaster management areas.’ This revises the existing system of designated management target areas, which was difficult to use because of its complex procedures. Disaster management agencies must draw up long- and short-term plans and take corrective measures to eliminate risks in these areas. The law also establishes a legal basis for the government to cover all or part of the costs when a local government implements an improvement plan for a management area, excluding privately owned land.
The bill also sets out the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s identification, analysis and assessment of potential risks, as well as research into systems for managing new types of disasters. It also provides for response periods targeting specific times or events, plans to protect and inspect national critical infrastructure, and the establishment of policy councils involving relevant agencies.
The government is also backing the legislation. At a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee on the 6th, Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung said, “We will pursue the enactment of the ‘Social Disaster Countermeasures Act’ so that we can systematically prepare for social disasters that threaten people’s daily lives.” The government has yet to announce a specific legislative roadmap, but the ruling party and the government have reached a consensus on the need for public-sector advance preparedness for social disasters. As a result, the bill is expected to gain momentum in the regular session after the parliamentary audit.
[email protected] Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter