At the Baudeogi Festival (바우덕이축제), hosted by Anseong City (안성시), a tightrope performer fell during a performance. Earlier, at the Green Market (녹색장터), hosted by Anseong City and the Anseong City Council for Sustainable Development (안성시 지속가능발전협의회), a truck crashed into people, killing two and injuring five. The two accidents occurred at separate events, but because performers and event-preparation workers were among those affected in successive incidents at local events, safety management and responsibility have become key issues.
Background and context
At about 11:40 a.m. on October 2, a tightrope performer in their 30s with the Anseong Namsadang Pungmul Troupe (안성남사당풍물단) fell about 2.5 meters at Anseong Matchum Land (안성맞춤랜드) in Bogae-myeon, Anseong, during a tightrope performance at the Baudeogi Festival. According to reports, the accident occurred when a support holding the rope in place fell over.
The performer was taken to a nearby hospital and then underwent a detailed examination at a university hospital before going home. They sustained a minor injury when the rope scraped their chin. Considering the nature of traditional tightrope performances, Anseong City had not installed safety mats before the accident. The city said it inspected the equipment, including the rope and support, and installed safety mats after the accident. It also said it plans to review the festival site’s overall safety management system and investigate the exact cause of the accident.
Earlier, on September 19, a 1-ton truck driven by a contract worker employed by Anseong City suddenly crashed into people at a Green Market event site in Gongdo-eup, Anseong. A mother in her 40s and her youngest son, who was in his teens, were preparing for the event when they were killed; five others were injured. The truck crash was determined to have occurred after the driver, identified as N, mistakenly pressed the accelerator. Police arrested N on suspicion of causing death or injury under the Traffic Accident Processing Act (교통사고처리법).
In addition to investigating the driver, police plan to examine whether Anseong City and the Anseong City Council for Sustainable Development were also at fault. This does not mean that the organizers’ responsibility has been established. The causes of both accidents, the adequacy of safety measures, and the roles of those involved must be assessed based on the investigation findings.
What this news means
Event safety is not just about reinforcing equipment after an accident; it is also about whether risks associated with performances or preparation work were identified in advance and appropriate preventive measures were taken. In the tightrope accident, investigators may examine how the support fell and the decision not to install safety mats before the accident. However, based only on the information currently available, it is not possible to conclude that the lack of safety mats caused the accident or that installing them would have prevented it.
The fact that the vehicle crash was determined to have resulted from pressing the wrong pedal must also be distinguished from the question of whether the organizers were at fault. The responsibility of the city and the council, which police were reported to be planning to examine, is still under investigation. To determine responsibility, investigators must look at who was assigned which safety duties during the organization and preparation of the event, whether the accident could have been anticipated and prevented, and whether there was a causal link between any measures taken and the harm caused.
For example, someone involved in preparing an event who wants to check vehicle routes and work areas could review how the organizers set on-site traffic routes and safety plans as one way to understand the accident-prevention system. This does not mean those measures were absent at the actual accident site. The reported facts do not reveal the specific arrangements at the site.
Relevant legal framework and support information
A legal guide based on consultation cases from the Korea Legal Aid Corporation (법률구조공단) explains that criminal liability does not automatically follow simply because a person was injured or killed as a result of negligence. The assessment depends on the specific circumstances, including whether the person had a duty of care to foresee and prevent the outcome, whether that duty was breached, and whether there was an adequate causal link between the breach and the harm. In cases of occupational negligence, the assessment also takes into account the level of care expected of an average person engaged in the same work, as well as the circumstances at the time and the specific nature of the work.
These standards do not determine responsibility in these cases in advance; rather, they show which issues may be important to the investigations. In the tightrope accident, investigators may examine why the support fell and what safety measures were in place at the site. In the truck crash, they may examine not only the driver but also the roles and duties of each party involved in preparing and managing the event. Whether anyone is actually responsible will depend on the specific investigation findings.
What is known and what remains unknown
Confirmed facts
- During a tightrope performance at the Baudeogi Festival on October 2, a support holding the rope fell, causing a tightrope performer in their 30s to fall about 2.5 meters.
- The performer sustained a minor chin injury and went home after undergoing a detailed examination at a university hospital.
- On September 19, a 1-ton truck crashed into people at the Green Market, killing a mother in her 40s and her son in his teens and injuring five others.
- Police arrested the truck driver on suspicion of causing death or injury under the Traffic Accident Processing Act, and plan to examine whether the city and the council were at fault.
- Anseong City said that after the tightrope accident, it inspected the equipment, installed safety mats, and plans to investigate the exact cause of the accident.
What remains unknown
- What exactly caused the support to fall during the tightrope performance?
- Has any fault by Anseong City or the Anseong City Council for Sustainable Development been established in connection with the truck crash?
- What follow-up measures have been implemented after the two accidents, including a review of safety management across the festival site?
What readers should check
- Readers should check whether the findings of the investigation into the tightrope accident and the review of the festival site’s safety management system, both announced by Anseong City, have been made public.
- Reports say that police plan to examine whether the organizers were at fault in the vehicle crash, so readers should distinguish between the fact that the investigation is planned and any findings that have been established.
- Anyone directly involved in an accident can consult a legal professional about specific questions of responsibility, based on the investigation findings and any available evidence related to the accident.
