South Korea builds memorial at disaster site

Tens of thousands of people - mostly in their 20s and 30s - went out to enjoy the first post-COVID-19 holiday, but a stampede occurred in Seoul's Itaewon district.

Korea builds memorial statue to reduce Halloween 2022 image 1 — "October 29 Memorial Alley" in Itaewon, Seoul. Photo: AFP

On Thursday, the site of the massacre, now decorated with hundreds of sheets of paper filled with messages of grief and remembrance for the victims, was designated the 'October 29 Memorial Alley'.

“This is a place to remember those who became stars in the sky in an alley in the middle of Seoul while enjoying their daily lives on the night of October 29, 2022,” Lee Jung-min, a representative of the bereaved families, said at the inauguration ceremony of the memorial marker on the street.

“This is also a place of safety commitment so that similar things do not happen again in the future,” he added.

Lee, who lost his 28-year-old daughter in the crowd, said the victims' families were still searching for answers since the disaster.

Lee, along with about 100 bereaved relatives and activists, is pushing for legislation to require an independent investigation into what happened and who was responsible for the deadly crush.

Despite an official investigation and local officials pursuing prosecutions, no one has yet been convicted.

“Only by raising awareness through a clear investigation of the truth and punishing those truly responsible can people live their daily lives safely,” Lee said.

Local authorities have banned Halloween parties in some popular party districts this year, while many stores and bars have decided not to hold promotions or decorate for the holiday.

Mai Anh (according to CNA)

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