Culture minister expresses condolences over deaths of Japanese tourists

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead with culture minister expressing condolences; UPDATES
with comments from police station chief; RESTRUCTURES)
SEOUL/BUSAN, Nov. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's culture minister expressed
condolences Sunday over the deaths of eight Japanese tourists who were killed in
a blaze that swept through an indoor shooting range in the southern port city of
Busan.
Saturday's fire killed a total of 10 people, including two South Koreans, a tour
guide and a shooting range employee. The Japanese were visiting the shooting
range as part of a sightseeing program. The group had come to Busan earlier
Saturday on a two-day trip.
"There is no way of suppressing this feeling of sorrow. We express our
condolences to the victims and the bereaved families," Yu In-chon, the minister
of culture and tourism, said in a statement. He said his ministry will work
closely with related government bodies to deal with compensation and other issues
promptly.
The minister said that the South Korean government will seek measures, including
compensation and insurance, to deal with foreign visitors who get involved in
accidents while visiting Korea.
Busan is South Korea's largest port city and one of the most popular destinations
for Japanese tourists due in part to its proximity to Japan. Prime Minister Chung
Un-chan was to visit the site of the fire later in the day.
Lee Gap-hyeong, head of the Busan Jungbu Police Station, said that the fire
appears to have started from a sofa inside a rest area near the entrance to the
range, but added that the exact cause of the fire was still unknown.
"The closed-circuit television in the range did not reveal any substantial leads
on the cause of the fire," he said at a press conference.
Police said the death toll may rise as some of six people in hospital with severe
burns were in critical condition.
Fire authorities had reportedly warned the owners of the shooting range during a
recent inspection of potential dangers because of the large amount of soundproof
material at the facility that would produce a heavy toxic fume in case of fire.
Meanwhile, family members of the Japanese victims were to arrive in Busan later
Sunday.
The foreign ministry said the South Korean government set up a task force to
provide legal and administrative support for the families and the investigation.
"The ministry will help the families through our embassy in Tokyo and contact
with the Japanese consulate in Busan," a senior official at the ministry said.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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