Bereaved families file complaints against officials over Osong tragedy

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Bereaved families file complaints against officials over Osong tragedy

Published: 03 Aug. 2023, 18:07 Updated: 03 Aug. 2023, 19:51

Families of the Osong tragedy victims on Thursday hold a press conference near the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office as they filed complaints against North Chungcheong Gov. Kim Young-hwan, Cheongju Mayor Lee Beom-seok and chief of the National Agency for Administrative City Construction Lee Sang-rae for violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. [YONHAP]

Family members of the people killed when an underpass in Osong-eup, North Chungcheong flooded during monsoon rains last month filed complaints against government officials on Thursday, accusing them of responding inadequately to a disaster they say could have been prevented.

An association of bereaved families held a press conference Thursday morning in front of Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office and filed complaints against North Chungcheong Gov. Kim Young-hwan, Cheongju Mayor Lee Beom-seok and the chief of the National Agency for Administrative City Construction (Naacc) Lee Sang-rae for violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The families blamed the Naacc, under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, for installing feeble temporary levees that caused the flooding, and for failing to respond swiftly to such an urgent situation.

The flood on July 15, which claimed 14 lives last month in Osong-eup, Heungdeok District, Cheongju, occurred after a temporary sand levee broke on the nearby Miho River, which was swollen due to heavy rains.

The association denounced the provincial office of North Chungcheong for not restricting traffic, as well as the city government of Cheongju for not taking prompt actions despite knowing the Miho River had breached its banks.

The victims’ families said the Office for Government Policy Coordination (OPC) did not blame the entities in question for the tragedy during its inspection, although they are the ones who were responsible for managing the scene.

The OPC last week decided to punish 63 public officials for the tragedy and asked for additional investigations into 36 personnel, including six police officers and emergency workers.

North Chungcheong Gov. Kim and Cheongju Mayor Lee were not included on OPC's investigation list. The government said it cannot take action against them since they are elected officials with legally guaranteed terms in office.

The head of the Naacc, a vice-minister-level official, was also excluded from the list as he is a political appointee who serves at the pleasure of the president.

On Monday, the prime minister suggested that President Yoon Suk Yeol sack Naacc chief Lee Sang-rae and reshuffle other responsible government officials, police officers and emergency personnel.

Rescuers on July 16 search for people who went missing in a flooded underpass in Osong-eup of Cheongju in North Chungcheong. [YONHAP]

Experts believe that the three high officials could be punished for violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The law defines "serious accidents" as those that result in at least one death or 10 injuries that need two or more months of treatment.

A network of experts, including lawyers, academics and safety experts, held a press conference on July 20 calling the Osong tragedy a serious accident caused by multiple failures, including the improper management of the underpass and the weak levees installed near the river.

Prosecutors on Tuesday raided the offices of five companies related to the accident, including Kumho E&C, in charge of the construction of the temporary levees, as part of their investigation.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]