Families to hold mass commemoration for Seoul 2022 crush victims

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Victims’ families, survivors and activists will hold a mass commemoration in Seoul on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of the deadly crush that killed nearly 160 people during Halloween festivities last year.

Last Halloween, tens of thousands of people — mostly in their 20s and 30s — had been out to enjoy post-pandemic holiday celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon district, but the night turned deadly with no effective crowd control and bungled official responses to calls for help.

A year on, families of the victims say they are still seeking answers to what went wrong and who was responsible for the deadly crush.

Despite a formal investigation and ongoing prosecutions of local officials, no one has yet been convicted.

“The public mourning event … is being held to remember and pay tribute to the 159 victims, and at the same time to pledge to never give in on finding the truth that has yet to be revealed,” the families’ group said in a statement.

Sunday’s commemoration is expected to be attended by around 10,000 people, including the victims’ families, survivors of the crush, activists, as well as lawmakers and government officials, they added.

The families will march from the site of the crush in Itaewon to City Hall for a mass rally in the evening, according to the statement.

The scene captured before the tragic incident last Halloween in South Korea.

— AFP