WP “27 years of the Sampoong disaster … raises the question of whether you have learned anything in Korea”

“Sampoong is the alarm bell for high growth, and Itaewon is in the midst of a cultural leap forward”

US university professor “Attracts people from all over the world, but doesn’t seem to have a proper sense of responsibility”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Myung-hoon = The Washington Post (WP), a leading American daily, pointed out that in relation to the ‘Itaewon disaster,’ South Korea failed to prevent a similar disaster even after the collapse the Sampoong Department Store 27 years ago.

The WP reported on the 4th (local time) in an article under the headline ‘Itaewon Halloween Disaster Summons the Ghost of the 1995 Sampoong Collapse’, “the question is raised whether Korea has learned anything in 30 years on according to Sampoong. “.

Regarding the collapse of a department store in 1995, in which 502 people died, the WP said, “In the desire to modernize, builders and public officials did not observe safety measures properly,” explained the meaning.

WP also pointed out that the Sampoong Department Store at the time was overflowing with signs of collapse until shortly before the accident, but no action was taken by department store managers or related authorities.

In addition, after the accident, the social leadership promised to prevent the extension from happening again, and at that time, the government strengthened the supervision of building safety, and the WP added that institutional improvements were made, such as increasing the severity of the penalty for negligent homicide.

Against this background, the Itaewon disaster, which killed around 150 people, is no different, the WP noted.

If the Sampoong disaster raised the alarm for Korea’s rapid economic growth, the Itaewon disaster happened while Korea was making its mark around the world as a cultural center, WP analyzed. Itaewon, the site of the disaster, was the center of Hallyu culture.

Professor Alexis Durden of the University of Connecticut said, “There is something ‘cool’ in Korea that attracts people from all over the world,” noting that foreigners from 20 countries were sacrificed in this disaster. “It’s sad,” he said.

The fact that danger was predicted even before the disaster occurred is similar to the time of Sampoong, when there were many signs of collapse, the WP diagnosed.

Yongsan Police Station, the local authority at the site, predicted that 100,000 people a day could visit the Itaewon Special Tourism Zone on Halloween weekend, and only 137 police officers were deployed to manage the site.

It was also revealed that there were many calls to report warnings of danger on the site, but no action was taken.

WP drew attention to the fact that the irresponsible response of those in positions of responsibility has not changed since the past.

Professor Durden criticized, “In both disasters, there is a pattern that reveals ‘irresponsibility’, such as ‘there was nothing to be done’ by those in charge. In doing so, people’s lives were sacrificed.”

The WP added, “After the Itaewon disaster, Korea had to face another unfamiliar ghost.”

id@yna.co.kr

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