Halloween crowd crush: South Korean parliament passes no-confidence motion against interior minister

The tragic Halloween incident in South Korea left a scar on the lives of family members, who lost their loved ones. Now, a motion has been passed by South Korea’s National Assembly demanding the dismissal of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. The government's response to the Itaewon crush has been criticised as 158 people were killed in the pre-Halloween crowd crush. 

On Sunday, the Democratic Party (DP)-controlled parliament passed a no-confidence motion against the interior minister, blaming him for the negligence that led to the fatal incident on October 29. 

The Yonhap News reported that the main opposition party used its parliamentary majority to pass the motion, which received support from 182 of the 183 lawmakers who voted, with one vote declared invalid. The report added that the ruling party, which opposed the dismissal motion, boycotted the vote. 

Last month, Lee issued an apology for the horrific incident, stating that the nation has unlimited responsibility for the safety of its people. Apart from the interior minister, some government officials have come under fire for the Halloween night massacre in Seoul. 

Although, President Yoon Suk Yeol might reject the motion, despite the fact that it was passed. 

"Minister Lee hastily tried to minimize the nature and significance of the tragedy by referring to the [Itaewon] disaster as an 'accident' and victims as 'the dead,' and also focused on shirking his ministerial duties by making the excuse that there is no official response outlined in administrative manuals for a [mass gathering] event without an organizer," the motion said.

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