DP leader says impeachment's rejection does not mean gov't free from responsibility over Itaewon tragedy

▲ Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at the party's leadership meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 26, 2023. (Yonhap)

DP leader-impeachment

DP leader says impeachment's rejection does not mean gov't free from responsibility over Itaewon tragedy

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said Wednesday the Constitutional Court's rejection of the parliamentary impeachment of the interior minister does not mean the government is free from responsibility over last year's Itaewon crowd crush.

On Tuesday, the nine-member Constitutional Court unanimously rejected Interior Minister Lee Sang-min's impeachment, saying any single person cannot be blamed for the disaster that left 159 people dead in Seoul's Itaewon district.

"Just because the impeachment was rejected does not mean he is free from responsibility," DP leader Lee Jae-myung said during a party meeting. "Not just one, but 159 innocent people lost their lives due to the government's mistakes but no one takes responsibility for it."

Lee also said the court's decision cannot give impunity for the tragedy.

Additionally, the DP leader accused the government, the presidential office and the ruling People Power Party of having no sense of shame, saying they should "restore their consciousness, wake up and at least feel a sense of responsibility."

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