Political response to the collapse of the Seosomun overpass in Seoul is moving into full gear. The Democratic Party of Korea and the government are coordinating schedules to review the response to the accident and discuss future measures. With the Seoul mayoral election approaching, fatal accidents at major construction sites are emerging as a key variable that could sway voters on the issue of safety.
According to political sources on Thursday, the Democratic Party is pushing to hold a joint party-government meeting at the National Assembly at 9:30 a.m. Friday, with officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in attendance. A Democratic Party official told Seoul Economic Daily, "We are reviewing the participants and schedule," adding, "We are leaving open the possibility that party leader Jung Chung-rae will attend in person."
The Democratic Party initially sought to hold a full meeting of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee to conduct an emergency questioning session on the Seosomun overpass collapse. However, it shifted to a party-government meeting format in consideration of opposition resistance and the election schedule, sources said. The People Power Party reportedly took a negative stance immediately after the accident, citing concerns that political wrangling could become excessive. A People Power Party official said, "What can we accomplish by holding a full committee meeting when the accident response isn't even over yet?" adding, "It would not be too late to proceed after the response is reasonably wrapped up."
The party and government share the position that the cause of the accident and the overall safety management system must be promptly reviewed. The meeting is expected to discuss the progress of recovery work, safety measures, and steps to prevent recurrence. Some debris from the overpass collapse fell onto nearby railway tracks, disrupting train operations. Visiting the accident site the previous day, Jung stressed, "We must determine as quickly as possible where the cause of the accident lies and who should be held responsible."
Both within and outside political circles, observers say the string of accidents could emerge as a late-stage variable in the Seoul mayoral election. Following the Seosomun overpass collapse, which left six casualties including three dead, another casualty occurred Thursday at a construction site near Suseo Station in Gangnam-gu, where soil collapsed during drainage pipe maintenance work.
Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, wrote on his Facebook page, "My heart is heavy as one tragic construction site accident follows another," adding, "The exact circumstances of the accidents and the state of on-site safety management must also be thoroughly verified." Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's candidate for Seoul mayor, said, "I cannot contain the heaviness in my heart at the news of recent successive construction site accidents and victims," adding, "I will more carefully attend to institutional measures for ensuring safety at construction sites."
