South Korea deadly Halloween crush families call for special probe, apology from president on anniversary
- Bereaved relatives visited the scene of the tragedy and attended multi-religious prayer services for their loved ones who died a year ago
- The crush, one of the biggest peacetime disasters in South Korea, killed 159 people, most in their 20s and 30s, gathering for celebrations
Bereaved relatives of victims of last year’s devastating Halloween crush in Seoul and their supporters demanded an independent investigation of the disaster as they marked the anniversary Sunday with a massive Memorial service.
The crush, one of the biggest peacetime disasters in South Korea, killed 159 people, most of them in their 20s and 30s who had gathered in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, for Halloween celebrations.
Commemorating the anniversary, the families, activists and others visited the Itaewon area and offered condolences at an alley where the crush happened. They also attended multi-religious prayer services for their loved ones.
They chanted slogans asking President Yoon Suk Yeol to offer a more sincere apology and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min to resign over the disaster.
“Apologise! Apologise!” they shouted.
The group marched through Seoul before arriving at a square for a Memorial service, which drew thousands of people.
In a speech, Lee Jeong-min, a representative for the families, urged President Yoon to support efforts to legislate a special law to open an independent investigation into the disaster.
