South Korea to file complaint over Yoon's absence at Itaewon hearing

Seoul’s Special Investigation Committee for the Itaewon disaster held a two-day hearing in central Seoul, but former president Yoon Suk-yeol did not attend despite a summons. The committee announced it would file a complaint with prosecutors over his absence.

Committee chair Song Ki-chun said the panel had requested Yoon’s appearance as a witness, but he did not show up, prompting a decision to pursue formal action for non-attendance. The panel emphasized that witnesses summoned under the Special Act on truth-finding and prevention must appear, and failure to attend without a valid reason can carry penalties.

In a related development, the committee had asked the Seoul Central District Court’s 36th Criminal Division not to compel Yoon’s appearance in a separate case involving alleged unmanned aerial vehicles. The court granted that request, but Yoon told the committee he could not attend, citing heavy pretrial preparation for another case.

The committee had previously sought to meet Yoon at Seoul Detention Center on the 10th, but could not obtain an audience. Yoon’s representatives said via his lawyers that interviews with the committee were difficult due to trial commitments.

The hearing, held at the Bankers Association Building in Jung district, Seoul, is divided into nine sessions over two days. Sessions are designed to probe critical questions about the disaster response, including why responders did not act in certain reported incidents and how police deployment and operations were managed.

The October 29 Itaewon disaster, long under scrutiny for crowd control and city safety failures, led to a broader examination of national leadership and crisis management. The special committee’s mandate is to uncover the facts and recommend reforms to prevent a recurrence.

For U.S. readers, the proceedings illustrate South Korea’s use of legislative-backed oversight and public accountability mechanisms after a major urban tragedy. The outcome could influence foreign investment signals, urban safety policy, and security cooperation with allies, as Seoul considers reforms in disaster response, policing, and public communication that affect global supply chains, technology use, and regional stability.