Unhealed Scar

Unhealed Scar   The national memorial committee for marking the 10th anniversary of Yongsan disaster composed of 140 civic bodies called a news conference outside the Cheongwadae on January 15 to strongly demand a strict investigation into the disaster caused by the Lee Myung-bak regime and punishment of those responsible for it. The Yongsan disaster took place on January 20, 2009. The then Lee Myung-bak regime forcibly evacuated the residents from the slum quarters without providing any living convenience by mobilizing the riot police. The disaster took lives of six people. On Jan. 17, street vendors and evacuees held a rally to mark the 10th anniversary of the disaster. No statute of limitations is applicable to the state-sponsored violence, Kim Seok-gi (a lawmaker of the Liberty Korea Party), the then Director of the National Police Agency should be held accountable for the disaster and the ex-president Lee Myung-bak can never escape the buck for the disaster, they pointed out. The tragic disaster happened in Yongsan are being witnessed across south Korea in various forms no matter how much water may flow under the bridge, they would strive to achieve the right to live and establish power for the people in unity with workers and people, they said. It is the way to make investigation into death of evacuees in Yongsan and console the spirit of the dead, they noted.