Bereaved relatives of victims of last year’s devastating Halloween massacre in Seoul and their supporters called for an independent investigation into the disaster as they marked the anniversary with a massive memorial service on Sunday.
The clash, one of South Korea’s worst peacetime disasters, killed 159 people, most of them in their 20s and 30s, who had gathered for Halloween celebrations in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul.
To commemorate the anniversary, families visited the Itaewon area, laying flowers and expressing condolences in an alley where the clash occurred. Some wept near a wall with numerous post-it notes containing messages of condolence.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I loved you,” said Song Jin Young, 55, the father of one of the victims.
In Itaewon, families also attended multi-faith prayer services for their loved ones accompanied by their supporters. They chanted slogans calling on President Yoon Suk Yeol to apologize more sincerely and for Security Minister Lee Sang-min to resign over the disaster.
“Apologize! Apologize!” They called.
The group marched through Seoul before arriving at a memorial service in a square attended by thousands of people.
In a speech, Lee Jeong-min, a representative of the families, called on President Yoon to support efforts to pass a special law to launch an independent investigation into the disaster.
“We did our best to raise our children, but we couldn’t even touch them when they suddenly disappeared. “Where can we talk about our displeasure with this reality?” Lee said. “The special law would be the most important legislation to determine the cause of the Itaewon disaster and discuss preventing a recurrence of similar incidents.”
In speeches, several opposition politicians criticized Yoon for not attending the ceremony and vowed to pass the special law to get to the bottom of the tragedy. Some participants reportedly shouted at a ruling party official as he tried to leave after the first half of the ceremony, but there were no reports of major violence.
The memorial ended with the crowd chanting “We will remember you” as the names of all 159 victims were called. They also placed flowers in front of photos of the dead at an altar.
The victims’ families said they invited Yoon to the memorial ceremony. Instead, he attended a service for the victims at a church in Seoul. Yoon’s office did not specifically explain why he missed the memorial, but local media reported that it was due to concerns that the event could be used politically by his rivals.
Speaking at church, Yoon said that the day of the disaster was “the day I felt the greatest sadness in my entire life.” Yoon said he expressed his deep condolences to the families and vowed to build a safer South Korea.
In January, a special police investigation concluded that police and local officials failed to formulate effective crowd control measures despite correctly anticipating large crowds in Itaewon. Investigators said police also ignored hotline calls from pedestrians warning of rising crowds before the surge turned deadly.
More than 20 police and other officials are reportedly facing trial over the disaster. However, no senior officials have been charged or held accountable, prompting families and opposition lawmakers to demand an independent investigation.
This year’s Halloween celebrations in South Korea have been largely subdued, with most bars, restaurants and shops avoiding Halloween-themed events to commemorate the victims. Few people were seen wearing Halloween costumes in Itaewon and other major entertainment districts in Seoul on Friday and Saturday.
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