Marking the sorrowful anniversary of last year’s catastrophic Halloween crush in Seoul, family members of the deceased and their advocates voiced their demand for an independent inquiry into the disaster. On Sunday, as part of a grand memorial service, they commemorated the lives tragically lost in the tragic event.
Last year’s crush, considered among the most calamitous peacetime disasters in South Korea, claimed the lives of 159 individuals, predominantly young adults in their 20s and 30s, who were part of the Halloween revelries in Itaewon, Seoul’s renowned nightlife district.
Families memorialized the ill-fated anniversary by visiting Itaewon, leaving floral tributes and expressing condolences at the very alleyway where the crushing event occurred. Several mourners were spotted shedding tears near a wall adorned with post-it notes containing heartfelt condolence messages.
Song Jin Young, a 55-year-old man who lost his child to the accident, lamented, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you. I loved you.”
Surrounded by their supporters in the region, the affected families also attended prayer services from different faiths to honor their dear departed ones. They chanted, urging President Yoon Suk Yeol for a genuine acknowledgement of regrets and called on the Safety Minister Lee Sang-min to step down following the grievous mishap.
Thousands gathered when the group marched to a square holding the memorial service. During this mass gathering, a representative of the families, Lee Jeong-min, appealed to President Yoon to back the effort to enact a special law enabling an independent investigation into the ordeal.
“We did our utmost to raise our children but we couldn’t even touch them when they vanished all of sudden. Where can we talk about our resentment toward this reality?” Lee posed, asserting the special law’s pivotal role in finding the cause of the tragedy and in curbing recurrences in the future.
Opposition officials, in their addresses, openly criticized Yoon for not attending the ceremony and pledged their support for passing the special law to unearth the true facts surrounding the tragic incident.
The names of the 159 victims were called out as the memorial came to a close, met with chants of “We’ll remember you” from the crowd. Flowers were placed reverently before the portraits of the deceased.
Yoon had been extended an invitation by the victims’ families to the memorial ceremony, however, he chose to attend a service for the victims at a Seoul church instead. His office did not explain his absence but media speculated political apprehensions could be why he missed the event.
Speaking at the church, Yoon described the day of the disaster as the “saddest day of his life” and extended his deepest sympathy to the grieving families. He also committed to ensuring a safer South Korea in the future.
A special police investigation in January found that law enforcement and municipal officials failed to develop effective crowd control measures despite predicting a large crowd in Itaewon accurately. It was also revealed that police had disdained calls from pedestrians warning of the dangerously swelling crowd.
While more than 20 police officers and officials are reportedly undergoing trials in relation to the disaster, the lack of accountability from top officials has prompted both grieving families and opposition parties to call for an independent investigation.
The recent Halloween celebrations in South Korea reflected the solemn occasion, placing on hold the usual revelries in honor of the victims. Only a handful of people adorned costumes during the weekend, in stark contrast to previous years.
