2024.07.26. The Fair Economy — Rep. Song Ok-ju, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs and Fisheries Committee, visited the site of the Aricell plant fire in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi on the 25th to meet with bereaved families of the victims and hold a meeting with related agencies including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as well as the company, the lawmaker's office said on the 26th. She urged active measures to support victims and uncover the truth behind the incident.
The site visit was organized by the Euljiro Committee of the Minjoo Party of Korea. Lawmakers Mo Gyeong-jong, Park Hong-bae, Lee Yong-u and Hong Gi-won, all members of the committee, attended. Song Ok-ju, also a member of the Euljiro Committee, joined the visit, starting with a stop at a shelter for victims of the Aricell disaster.
That day, bereaved families proposed ▲improving the system to extend support for living expenses, ▲thoroughly uncovering the truth through a detention-based investigation of Aricell officials, ▲urging Aricell to negotiate on compensation for damages, ▲accepting the disaster countermeasure committee as a negotiating partner, and ▲forming a joint public-private investigation committee, and asked the Eulji-ro Committee to actively work toward resolving the situation.
In response, the Eulji-ro Committee proposed sending an official document urging the company to negotiate, and said it would work to ensure the company participates in good faith in discussions on compensation through the Ministry of Employment and Labor's guidance on negotiations.
At the subsequent meeting with related agencies including Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Global and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, discussions were held on expanding support for victims and restoring the rights of bereaved families.
In particular, Rep. Song Ok-ju pointed out problems in the operation of the system supporting victims' families' living expenses, such as accommodation and meal costs, which are set to end on July 31, and drew positive responses from the related agencies.
Rep. Song Ok-ju said, "According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 'Guidelines for Establishing Disaster Relief Plans,' the period of support for living expenses such as lodging costs can be extended within the budget. Please work to ensure that additional support for bereaved families can be provided using Gyeonggi Global's disaster relief fund."
In response, Gyeonggi Global, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said they would consider extending the stay-cost support period through more flexible operation of the system.
In the subsequent visit to the Aricell fire site, the Euljiro Committee members received reports on the investigations by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the National Fire Agency, and urged the government to conduct proactive oversight inspections to thoroughly identify the cause of the accident and prevent recurrence.
They also called for the three agencies — the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency — to disclose the progress of their investigations for the public's right to know, and requested that separate updates on the investigations be shared with the bereaved families. They also urged the company to recognize the disaster countermeasure committee as a negotiating body and to engage in good-faith negotiations.
Song Ok-ju stated, "The Hwaseong Aricell fire involves various related agencies such as Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Global, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the National Fire Agency, making national-level inspection and support crucial for victim recovery. We will do our best to ensure not only expanded support for the victims' families but also sufficient compensation through urging the company side to negotiate."
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