South Korea panel files criminal complaint against ex-president Yoon over Itaewon hearing absence
At the Banking Hall building in central Seoul’s Jung-gu on March 13, the 10-29 Itaewon disaster truth-finding hearing of South Korea’s Special Investigation Committee resumed. The committee’s chair, Song Ki-chun, spoke to reporters as the session began.
The Special Investigation Committee announced that it had decided to file a criminal complaint against former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Song Ki-chun said the decision was made ahead of the hearing’s resumption after a committee meeting, noting that Yoon had informed the panel of his absence due to a trial schedule and did not attend the morning session.
![A WWI British recruitment poster. The Imperial War Museum identifies this as Parliamentary Recruiting Committee Poster No. 108. It also points out that St. George and the Dragon served as a national symbol for several parties in the conflict (which includes Germany, ironically enough).
Library of Congress Description:
Title: Britain needs you at once[sic: the LoC uses weird capitalization rules] / printed by Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd. London E.C.
Date Created/Published: London : Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915]
Medium: 1 print (poster) : lithograph, color ; 76 x 50 cm.
Summary: Poster showing St. George slaying the dragon; scene in roundel format.
Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-11248 (color film copy transparency)
Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication. For information see "World War I Posters" (http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/res/243_wwipos.html)
Call Number: POS - Gt Brit .P37, no. 4 (C size) [P&P]
Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA](https://journalkor.site/content/images/2026/03/01_Britain_Needs_You_at_Once_-_WWI_recruitment_poster_-_Parliamentary_Recruiting_Committee_Poster_No._108.jpg)
The Itaewon disaster truth-finding and prevention statute allows penalties for failing to appear at a hearing without a valid reason, including up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. The committee has emphasized that attendance is a legal obligation under the special act.
Previously, Yoon had informed the committee of his absence because of ongoing court schedules in two cases linked to separate trials—one involving alleged North Korea drone activity and another involving alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. The committee had requested postponements for those trials, and the requests were granted.
Earlier this month, on the 10th, the committee visiting Seoul Detention Center sought to persuade Yoon to attend, but he refused to meet with the committee and reiterated his absence through his lawyers.
The Itaewon disaster, in which a crowd crush in October 2022 led to numerous deaths and injuries, prompted the creation of the special investigative body to uncover the truth and prevent a recurrence. The hearings and related actions are part of South Korea’s broader efforts to scrutinize public safety and governance surrounding the tragedy.
For U.S. readers, the case matters beyond Korea because South Korea is a critical ally and a major supplier of high-tech components. How Seoul handles accountability for top leaders can affect political stability, policy reliability, and investor confidence in a key partner. The unrelated drone and election-law probes touch on security, democratic processes, and the performance of allied institutions in a period of regional security tensions with North Korea, all of which have implications for U.S. defense cooperation, supply chains, and regional markets.