1 of 12 | A visitor leaves an offering on the second anniversary of the Seoul Halloween crowd crush that left 159 dead. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI
Two years after the Halloween crowd crush that claimed 159 lives in Seoul, survivors and bereaved families continue to mourn and call for answers and accountability that still have not arrived.
Across a series of memorial events in recent days, a mood of profound sadness has been tinged with anger over what many see as the government’s continuing failure to provide an adequate response to the tragedy. Advertisement
“As a mother, I still completely feel the pain,” 52-year-old Park Young-soo, said Saturday at a public remembrance ceremony near the scene of the disaster. “I can still hear the cries of the victims in my head.”
Park, who lost her only son, said that fundamental questions about what happened that night remain unanswered.
“For those of us who are still alive, we want to find out the truth,” she said. “What are [authorities] afraid of to make them hide the truth? What is more important than those 159 lives?” Advertisement
The night of Oct. 29, 2022, turned deadly when more than 100,000 revelers descended on the nightlife district of Itaewon to celebrate Halloween. Police dispatched just 137 officers to the neighborhood and authorities badly botched the emergency response as people were funneled down a 10.5-foot-wide downhill alley, resulting in the worst crowd crush in South Korean history.
A police investigation in January of last year concluded that the crush was avoidable, calling it a “man-made disaster.”
But many family members say they still don’t know precisely when, where and how their loved ones died. A sense of justice has been missing, as well, as acquittals and light sentences for authorities connected with the tragedy have only added to the survivors’ anguish.
On Oct. 17, the Seoul Western District Court acquitted Kim Kwang-ho, former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and two other officials on negligence charges over the crowd crush.
The Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group strongly condemned the decisions, declaring them “absolutely unacceptable.”
Last month, the same court acquitted Park Hee-young, the head of the Yongsan District Office, and three of her colleagues. It found Lee Im-jae, former head of the Yongsan Police Precinct, guilty of occupational negligence and handed down a sentence of three years. Advertisement
“The families and their supporters are not satisfied with the results,” Lee Chang-min, a lawyer representing the family group, told UPI.
“We are outraged,” he said. “The court’s interpretation of the law was not well defined and the prosecutors did not do a thorough investigation.”
Prosecutors have appealed the decisions, but Lee said that it is vital for civil society and the general public to apply pressure on the courts and demand further investigations.
“Monitoring and attention from the society is important,” he said. “It can prevent those responsible from trying to escape their responsibility.”
Advocates are hoping for results from a new investigative committee, which was authorized by the South Korean parliament in May after initially being vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol. The bipartisan group, headed by Jeonbuk National University law professor Song Ki-choon, held its first meeting last month and will investigate the tragedy for up to 15 months.
“The committee wants to address every possible question, every problem that caused those young people to die,” Song told UPI. “We will follow the complete progress of the night — which streets were the problem and who died where. That’s what the families want to know.” Advertisement
Song added that the investigation also would look to “lay the foundation for a safer society.”
On Tuesday, the National Assembly held a memorial service commemorating the disaster, with about 120 bereaved family members and 60 lawmakers attending.
“On behalf of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, I apologize to the bereaved families and victims who have endured tremendous sorrow and pain during the time when the state failed in its responsibility,” Speaker Woo Won-shik said in his opening remarks.
Woo vowed that lawmakers would ensure the investigation committee “fulfills its responsibilities without any concealment, distortion, delay or obstruction.”
As evening fell on Tuesday, small groups of visitors gathered at the site of the tragedy, officially renamed “October 29 Memorial Alley,” with makeshift offerings of flowers, notes and candles.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced last week that it will implement special safety measures in 15 areas of the city expected to draw crowds during the Halloween season, and signs of a ramped-up security presence were apparent despite a muted atmosphere. Officials in yellow vests stood by to direct passers-by, while a newly installed digital signboard at the entrance to the alley monitored the crowd level.
Hwang Gyeong-hwa, whose daughter had been near Itaewon on that fateful night but managed to escape unharmed, said it was important to keep the memory of the tragedy alive. Advertisement
“This should have been prevented from happening but we didn’t stop it,” Hwang, 52, said. “The truth is still not being revealed. And those who need to take responsibility are still not being punished.
“That’s why I think that we need to remember this incident,” she added. “I’m just one person but I want to be together with everyone to share our voices.”
Park, the mourning mother, said that the nightmare of two years ago will continue until South Korean society can confront it directly and learn its painful lessons.
“If the truth cannot be revealed and if protections cannot be made to prevent the same thing from happening, that means that the Itaewon tragedy is still going on,” she said.
