The first anniversary of the Itaewon stampede: mourning and moving forward

Chinanews.com, Seoul, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The first anniversary of the Itaewon stampede: mourning and moving forward

Author: Liu Xu, Jin Lin

In South Korea, Halloween, which is coming at the end of October, is a Western holiday that is as grand and lively as Valentine's Day and Christmas. However, compared to previous years, this year's South Korea lacks a lot of festive atmosphere.

The shadow and atmosphere of mourning from the Itaewon accident a year ago affected the Halloween marketing of Korean merchants. According to Korean media reports, this year, large supermarkets in South Korea (Lotte Mart, e-mart), convenience store chains (CU, GS25, 7-11), and coffee shops (Starbucks, etc.) will no longer hold Halloween marketing activities. Lotte World Theme Park will no longer hold Halloween-themed events this year, canceling the "Zombie Parade" event, and no longer selling Halloween-related merchandise.

The staff of CU convenience store told a reporter from Chinanews.com, "There are no Halloween-related activities and products this year, because there is an accident (Itaewon), and I am more afraid (of public opinion)." Chinanews.com reporters observed that instead of them, the convenience store displayed Pepero Day (Chocolate Bar Festival on November 11) related theme activity products.

Pepero Day-themed products displayed at a convenience store in downtown Seoul on October 10. Photo by Jin Lin

In the shadow of the Itaewon stampede a year ago, Halloween is no longer just a revelry, but a scar in which 159 lives have been lost.

"Don't be my child"

On the evening of October 2022, 10, about 29,10 people went to the Itaewon-dong area of Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea to participate in a Halloween party. A large number of people gathered in a narrow alley, and people would not have imagined that tragedy would happen here. The stampede occurred in a 5.7-meter-long section of the alley, where more than 18 people gathered in the 300-square-meter space. They were swept and fell by the thrusting crowd or were squeezed by people on all sides and couldn't breathe, killing 158 people and injuring 196.

"When I saw the news, I prayed in my heart that it would not be my child... But I eventually saw my child lying in the hospital. At a press conference held on the 26th of this month to "Families and survivors of the victims of the 10.29 Itaewon accident," Yoo Hyung-woo, a father who lost his daughter, said.

"It's all a nightmare." The families of the victims from Norway have red eyes.

There are also many potential victims of the accident. In December last year, a survivor of an accident committed suicide due to the psychological trauma caused by the accident. Because of this, the final death toll in the Itaewon accident was counted at 12.

Lee Joo-hyun, a survivor of the accident, said at a press conference, "In addition to the families and survivors of the victims, people should also be aware that the witnesses to the incident, those involved in the rescue activities, the businessmen in Itaewon, and all those who suffered psychological and physical injuries as a result of the accident are all victims of the accident." ”

On October 10, a press conference was held in Seoul on the first anniversary of the 26.10 Itaewon accident. Photo by Jin Lin

"The clock has been stuck a year ago"

More than 150 families lost loved ones in the accident. Their clock has been stuck a year ago. Throughout the year, they have never stopped holding various commemorative activities.

In order to better remember the disaster, the Seoul Metropolitan Government established a memorial space for "10/26 Memorial and Safety Road" on October 10 at the site of the accident a year ago. Commemorative phrases written in 29 languages are written on the panels displayed here. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also said in a "letter to citizens" released on the 14th that a permanent memorial facility will be built after that, and it is currently in the stage of soliciting opinions.

The photo shows a commemorative display panel in 14 languages. Photo by Jin Lin

"However, no amount of memorial facilities can completely eliminate the suffering of the bereaved families," Mr. Oh said in the letter, "We are ready to provide support wholeheartedly to help the bereaved families get rid of their suffering and return to their daily lives as soon as possible." ”

The picture shows "10.29 Memory and the Road to Safety". Photo by Jin Lin

"It was supposed to be a preventable accident"

No one expected such an accident to occur during a festive rally in the capital.

"South Korea is a country that often holds various celebrations, and I remember similar events in the past, once there was a trend of people gathering, the police would be dispatched to manage the order of the scene," Lee Joo-hyun said at a press conference on the 26th. This was supposed to be an accident that could have been avoided. ”

The South Korean government is also aware that the incident has exposed the shortcomings of the country's basic disaster and safety management system, including the police, fire department, and administrative branch. After paying such a terrible price, the South Korean government began to aggressively reform the country's security management system.

In January this year, the South Korean government released a comprehensive plan for the reform of the national security system. The plan introduces the 1 Duplicate Report Detection System and Crowd Management System, mandatory on-site dispatch during a joint response by the police, fire and coast guards, the development of the 112 Emergency Rescue Intelligence System, and the expansion of disaster loss standards and support objectives.

Recently, the Standing Committee also passed amendments to the Disaster and Safety Law, which strengthen the responsibility of local governments to manage the safety of festivals that are not yet clear to the organizers (e.g., spontaneous gatherings of people).

In July, the Seoul Metropolitan Government produced a "Basic Manual for Disaster Preparedness" that can be applied to all types of disasters, and organized relevant departments to hold disaster drills in crowded places such as concert halls and food courts to prepare for possible future emergencies.

In addition, the staff of the relevant institutions have been expanded and improved to ensure that they can respond to accidents in a timely and professional manner. Seoul has established "Disaster Safety Rooms" in 25 wards to monitor disaster situations 24 hours a day, and has approximately doubled the number of relevant managers and staffed firefighters with extensive experience.

"AI CCTV cameras" are also gaining popularity. These cameras can automatically detect the flow of people, and in the event of a crowd increase, the system will report to the relevant authorities to take measures to ensure the safety of citizens. It is expected that within this year, Seoul will install 71 crowd detection CCTV in 909 crowded areas, and establish an "on-site crowd management system". On the 25th of this month, the Seoul Metropolitan Government also held a disaster drill at the Kondae Food Street to gain practical experience.

It is reported that on Halloween this year, Seoul will focus on managing 12 densely populated areas in 16 areas, including Itaewon, Hongdae Special Tourism Zone, and Gangnam Station. During the festive season (October 10-27), the "on-site crowd detection system" is used to manage the situation in real time at different times.

"Still in progress"

Although the South Korean government and other regions have taken the Itaewon accident as a warning and made adjustments to their management practices, there are still many problems that need to be resolved.

The victim's family demanded to "find out the truth", and they reported at a press conference on the 26th that the truth of the Itaewon incident has not yet been revealed, and the responsibility has not been implemented, "The investigation cannot end here." Kim Nari, the sister of Australian victim Kim In-hong, said they needed more detailed information from the government on the details of the victim's death. In addition, none of the administrative or staff members who have been blamed for the incident have been disciplined.

The distance of language and geography has also left many bereaved families of foreign victims feeling isolated. Of the 159 people killed in the Itaewon disaster, 26 were foreign victims from 14 countries and regions. However, at present, only 10 of the 29 members of the 112 members of the "3.<> Itaewon Tragedy Bereaved Families Council" are family members of foreign victims who can speak Korean. It is reported that most of the families of foreign victims can only obtain information through translating social media and other content on the Internet. "We want to have an official channel for more information and help." Kim Nari said.

The families of the victims also hope that the Itaewon Special Act will be passed and reviewed as soon as possible. According to reports, the bill is a special law to protect the rights of the victims of the Itaewon disaster, find out the truth, and prevent the recurrence of such accidents. The bill was adopted by the Public Administration and Security Committee at the end of August, but is still pending consideration by the Congressional Legislation and Justice Committee. "If the bill passes, things will go in a better direction." 8.10 Yoon Bok-nam, a lawyer and head of the Itaewon accident task force, said at a press conference.

In addition, the issue of "illegal expansion", which was determined to be the main cause of the accident, has not yet been resolved. Although from November last year to May this year, 11,5 cases of illegal buildings that threaten the safety of citizens were rectified in 75 districts, including Sinchon Station and Hongik University entrance, illegal buildings can still be seen everywhere on the streets of South Korea.

The controversy over the Itaewon accident and the atmosphere of mourning made Halloween in South Korea wary this year. Two voices have also appeared on the internet. Some believe that young people should not forget the painful lessons of a year ago and need to be calm and restrained, while others believe that as long as they pay attention to safety, there will be no big problem.

"You don't have to hate Halloween, you don't have to hate Itaewon, the festival is not guilty, and it is the administrators who are guilty," survivor Lee Joo-hyun said at a press conference, "I will participate in Itaewon's Halloween event again this year." This is my way of mourning. (ENDS)