A mourner pours out soju at the site of a car crash in central Seoul to offer condolences to the victims, Thursday. The accident killed nine people, July 1. Newsis

An online debate has emerged over the 800,000 won ($579) body transportation fee that was charged to the bereaved family of one of the victims of a deadly car crash on July 1 that claimed nine lives in central Seoul.

A post titled “Is it correct that the victim's family pays for the recovery of the scene of the City Hall disaster?” was uploaded on an online community called Bobae Dream, Friday.

The online user, who claimed to be an acquaintance of one of the bereaved families, wrote, “During the funeral period, a bill for 800,000 won was delivered to the bereaved family for the transporting of the body and on-site recovery expenses from the time of the accident.”

“Is it right for the bereaved family to pay (the bill) after going through such a tragic accident that they had no choice in?” the writer wrote, questioning whether it is right to claim payment, particularly during a period of mourning.

According to a local news report, a private company that recovered and transported the body from the accident site to the location of the funeral issued the bill to the bereaved family after the accident last Monday.

At the time, the private company transported the body instead of an ambulance due to internal regulations of the fire authorities that prioritize ambulances to transport emergency patients and prohibit the transportation of deceased persons.

Public opinion is divided over the validity of the expense claim.

Some expressed it is regrettable yet inevitable, as an online commentator replied, “It's heartbreaking, but there is a due procedure. The insurance company pays for it anyway, not the bereaved family.” Others agreed, “This is inevitable.”

But others argued the expense claim lacks legitimacy.

“How can you charge the victim for on-site medical treatment recovery of the accident? It's right to demand the perpetrator to pay for it,” an online user wrote.

“It feels kind of weird because money seems to come before life,” another wrote.

When a commenter asked how the payment went, the writer said, “I was told that the bereaved family made the payment. I told them to keep the receipt and transfer details just in case.” However, the online comment has since been deleted.

At around 9:27 p.m. on July 1, a sedan driven by a 68-year-old darted in the wrong direction for some 200 meters up a one-way road near Seoul City Hall, crashing into two other cars before hitting pedestrians on the sidewalk near the intersection there.

Nine people were killed and seven were injured in the devastating accident. The driver of the vehicle is under police investigation after being charged with professional negligence resulting in death under the Special Act on Handling of Traffic Accidents.