(LEAD) DP demands sacking of interior minister, national police chief
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with calls for dismissal of top officials; RESTRUCTURES)
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) demanded the sacking of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and national police chief Yoon Hee-keun following revelations that police did little even after receiving 11 calls about the dangerous level of crowds on the night of the Itaewon crowd crush.
"Minister Lee and Commissioner General Yoon should be sacked immediately," DP Rep. Jung Chung-rai said, also calling for criminal punishment of them.
Rep. Jang Kyung-tae also demanded Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon step down and urged President Yoon Suk-yeol to issue an apology and fire the interior minister.
Some, like Rep. Lee Soo-jin, called for a parliamentary probe into the case, claiming the Halloween crowd crush happened due to the negligence of the law enforcement agencies.
The ruling People Power Party (PPP) acknowledged the need to hold relevant officials accountable but voiced caution against taking disciplinary measures in a hasty manner.
"What is needed at the moment is not speed but proceeding in an accurate direction," Rep. Chung Jin-suk, the PPP's interim chief, said. "Taking disciplinary measures against officials should come after an accurate investigation into the cause of the accident and should be based on the findings."
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party leaves the Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall after paying respect to the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush at a mourning altar on Nov. 1, 2022. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
mlee@yna.co.kr
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