Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol should issue a formal apology to the victims of last year’s Itaewon crowd crush and visit the memorial event scheduled for the weekend.

His comments come as the top office announced the president would not be attending the memorial event marking the tragedy’s first anniversary, calling it a “political rally organized by the opposition party.”

Lee said Sunday’s memorial event is not politically motivated, arguing that if both ruling and opposition parties take part, it cannot be called a political rally.

The DP chief also urged Yoon to keep his promises of creating a safe society by devising measures to prevent recurrence of such a tragedy. 

Meanwhile, ahead of the first anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush, People Power Party(PPP) floor spokesperson Jang Dong-hyeok said the heartbreaking incident made everyone realize that the state’s responsibility to protect the safety of the people is “infinite”, but called on the opposition party to not use the tragedy for political battle.

Newly appointed new innovation committee chairman for the PPP Ihn Yo-han will be attending the memorial service at Seoul Plaza on Sunday.