As widely expected, President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed a bill on Tuesday to launch a special committee for investigations into the deadly crowd crash that occurred in Itaewon in 2022. Initiated by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the bill was designed to carry out intensive investigations into the disaster that claimed 159 lives during the Halloween weekend celebrations. While rebuffing the act, wary of the possible repercussions from the bereaved families, the government unveiled a plan to install a memorial facility for the dead while offering financial compensation to the families.

The president deserves criticism for the recent move, as it is the ninth exercise of his veto rights since he took office 20 months ago. It represents the largest number of vetoes being exercised by a head of state since 1987, following former Presidents Roh Tae-woo (7), Roh Moo-hyun (6), Park Geun-hye (2) and Lee Myung-bak (1). Frequent vetoing can be seen as a unilateral way of state administration........

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