On the afternoon of the 14th, bereaved families weep at the joint memorial altar for the victims of the October 29 Itaewon disaster prepared near Noksapyeong Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Reporter Han Soo-bin
On the 14th, a citizen’s memorial altar with portraits of the victims of the ‘Itaewon Halloween Tragedy’ was set up in the square in front of Exit 3 of Noksapyeong Station, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. 158 picture frames were placed on the altar covered with black cloth. The 76 frames that the bereaved families agreed to release contained pictures and names of the victims, and pictures of chrysanthemum flowers were inserted into the remaining frames.
The laying of flowers and worship by the bereaved family began around 5:10 pm on the same day when the incense burner was set up. Those holding the portrait in their arms cried bitterly, calling their children by name. There were also people who could not easily place the portrait held in their hearts on the altar. Lee Jong-cheol, representative of the family council for the October 29 Itaewon disaster, was speechless, saying, “Finally, I can say ‘Goodbye, I’m sorry’ while calling out each of my children by name.” On the day when the perceived temperature in Seoul dropped to minus 17 degrees Celsius, the lowest this year, the memorial altar installed was filled with sobs in remembrance of the victims of the disaster.
The incense burner was entirely built with the power of the bereaved families and citizens who came out to help them. “Push the wooden neck a little tighter.” It was noticeable that about 10 young men and woodworkers knelt on the cold floor and made an altar by attaching wooden plywood and lumber. Volunteer Kang Hee-joo (21) said, “I thought the government had a lot of responsibility for the disaster, so I participated in the memorial action, but came when I heard that the bereaved family council needed help in setting up a memorial altar.” Now we will do the work of installing an altar and posting a portrait.”
The sound of a saw cutting wood and the pounding of a hammer continued for more than four hours from 11:00 am. The altar completed in this way was moved into the tent only at sunset. Ms. Hong Ye-rin (22), a condolence visitor, said, “When I came to the joint incense burner built by the government, I felt like I couldn’t pay my respects properly because there was no mortuary tablet.”
The government declared a national mourning period from October 30, the day after the disaster, to November 5, 12 noon. About 30 joint incense burners were installed in downtown Seoul, including the Seoul City Hall Plaza. However, there were no portraits or mortuary tablets of the victims at the memorial altars set up by the government and local governments without confirmation from the bereaved families.
The name of the joint incense burner was also changed from “Itaewon Joint Incense Center for Victims of the Accident” to “Itaewon Massacre Victims Joint Incense Center” only on the last day of the official mourning period. Previously, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security sent official letters to each city and province, ordering them to write the name of the joint incense burner as “accident” instead of “disaster,” and “deceased” instead of “victim.” It was pointed out that the government is trying to reduce the atmosphere of commemoration.
The October 29 Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting, in which 188 civic groups participated, is helping with the fact-finding activities requested by the bereaved family council. Shim Gyu-hyeop, head of the Joint Situation Office of the Citizens’ Countermeasures Committee, said, “Immediately after the disaster, the incense burner was set up without communication with the bereaved families, so it proceeded without a portrait and photos, and the connection between the bereaved families was not properly established.”
The Association of Bereaved Families, which was launched on the 10th, requested the government to provide a channel for communication between the victims of the disaster and a memorial space for the victims at the founding press conference. However, the government has not responded to this request so far, and the bereaved family association set out to set up an incense burner on its own.
The Association of Bereaved Families will hold a memorial service titled “Please Remember Us” at Exit 3 of Itaewon Station at 6:00 pm on the 16th, when the ashes of the 49 victims will be held. After the 49th ashes, the operation of the incense burner will be decided through discussion among the bereaved families. The late Lee Ji-han’s mother said, “President Yoon Seok-yeol should come by Friday (the 16th) and bow his head in front of 158 photos to apologize.” “If he does not come, the people will not forgive him.”
The October 29 Itaewon Massacre Bereaved Families Association and the October 29 Itaewon Massacre Citizens’ Countermeasures Committee installed a citizen’s incense burner with a photo of the deceased at Itaewon Plaza in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 14th. At the Citizens’ Incense Center in Itaewon Square, portraits and mortuary tablets of 77 victims of the disaster were placed with the consent of the bereaved families. The bereaved family lays a wreath at the civil incense burner. Reporter Han Soo-bin