A group of families who lost loved ones in last month's Itaewon crowd crush held their first press conference, urging the government to draft preventive measures and punish those responsible.

The media gathering on Tuesday, coming 24 days after the tragic event, was organized by a fact-finding and legal assistance task force set up by the civic group Minbyun, or Lawyers for a Democratic Society.

One father who lost his daughter said the disaster stems from a failure to manage a crowd of 130-thousand gathered that night. He criticized the police’s failure to mobilize a special response team that day as evidence of their lack of concern for the safety of ordinary citizens.

A bereaved mother, showing her son's death certificate, said she is not able to send off her son without knowing when, where and how he died.

Since setting up the task force, Minbyun has been legally representing the families of 34 victims and has devised a list of demands from the government, including a sincere apology, proactive support for victims and measures to commemorate the victims and prevent secondary damage.

The list also includes holding those responsible to account, with one lawyer from the group saying that an announcement on legal measures to be pursued will be forthcoming after consulting with the families.