Koreans are trying to come to terms with the latest public safety disaster:
“Are we living in the Republic of Disasters?
This Internet post captures the fear, anger and frustration felt by a nation that was shocked by a fatal accident during an outdoor concert, when it is still recuperating from the Sewol tragedy.
A ventilation grating collapsed and 27 people standing on it fell 20 meters into an underground parking lot in the middle of a pop concert in Pangyo, south of Seoul, Friday evening.
Sixteen people were killed and 11 others were seriously injured.
“All we have heard since the Sewol ferry sinking is about how to improve safety,” said Lee, a 27-year-old man, who refused to reveal his full name.
“Every time, it’s same. The same headlines, the same government reaction and what not. The newspapers blame lax safety measures as the cause of yet another disaster and the saddest of all is that it all could have been prevented,” Lee said.
“What’s next?” Lee asked himself, and answered: “Some high-ranking government official bows in front of the cameras. Someone resigns, and it seems to quiet down. And another accident happens. It’s so cyclical that mentioning the problem seems boring.”
A 30-year-old office worker who identified herself as Kim suggested that a few security guards on site could have prevented the accident.
“The victims were trying to get a better view of the performers on stage. And I guess those people probably didn’t think too much about whether the grate was strong enough to support them or not. They were just being enthusiastic concert-goers, right?” she said.
“Maybe if someone had warned them, they wouldn’t have risked their lives,” she said. (Korea Times)
You can read more at the link, but like one netizen said in the article would the crowd have listened if there was security there?
