35 Family Members of Itaewon Crush Victims Attend Fourth Anniversary Memorial
On the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush on the 29th, 35 family members of the victims attended a memorial ceremony at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, urging a thorough investigation into the cause of the disaster and accountability for those responsible. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety jointly held the 'Fourth Anniversary Memorial Ceremony' with the October 29 Itaewon Disaster Victims' Families Association, the Citizens' Countermeasure Committee, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government at Gwanghwamun Square on the morning of the 29th. More than 1,000 people attended, including representatives of the government and political parties, members of the National Assembly, diplomats from the home countries of foreign victims, civic groups, and ordinary citizens. Family members and citizen attendees bowed their heads in silence to mourn the victims. Thirty-five family members of 18 foreign victims, invited to Korea by the government's official invitation, also took part in the ceremony.
President Lee Jae-myung, who attended the memorial, said, "On that day when a joyful autumn night was turned into a scene of horrific tragedy, the state was absent," adding, "I will ensure that citizens are never again unjustly sacrificed through the state's absence and neglect." President Lee stated, "Never again should the dignity of the victims be violated, nor should the state repeatedly reopen the wounds of grieving family members who must live on carrying painful longing." He went on to say, "We will reveal the truth clearly so that not a single question remains, and we will make certain that the truth revealed leads to the prevention of any recurrence."
Lee Jung-min, father of the late Lee Joo-young, a victim of the Itaewon disaster and operations chief of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster Victims' Families Association, along with Pascal Ghenego, father of French victim Rimamou Ghenego, called for a thorough investigation into the truth.
