It's been almost a year since the Itaewon tragedy. The Itaewon disaster occurred on October 29, 2022, in Itaewon, Seoul, when Itaewon was swamped with people in the previous night celebration of Halloween. A large number of people were killed as crowds surged down the ramp of a limited passageway in front of the Hamilton Hotel.

What happened after the Itaewon accident? First, several Hamilton Hotel employees were given one-year prison terms for breaking building and traffic restrictions. The hotel had built an illegal structure near the alley where the accident occurred. The Public Administration and Security Committee decided to pass the Itaewon disaster Special Act early on August 31, 2023. The bill includes provisions to ensure the rights of victims of the tragedy, as well as to establish the truth and prevent a recurrence.

In an effort to avoid another disaster, the Seoul metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters held its biggest drill since the tragedy on September 7. It was an on-site control and golden time response drill.

Prosecutors fined Changwon City Councilor Kim Mina 3 million won on August 31 for making derogatory remarks about the Itaewon incident victims. The first anniversary of the Itaewon accident is just around the corner. At this point in time, there is still the issue of establishing an Institute for Research as well as a need to set up additional special legislations.