Nation Mourns on 3rd Anniversary of Itaewon Tragedy
Nation Mourns on 3rd Anniversary of Itaewon Tragedy
Across the nation, memorials are being held on October 29, 2025, marking the 3rd anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy. Three years ago, the heartbreaking accident claimed the lives of 159 individuals, leaving deep wounds and profound sorrow on Korean society. Today, memorial services are taking place across the country to honor the victims, comfort the bereaved families, and pledge to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again.
At 10:29 AM today, sirens wailed across Seoul to commemorate the victims. As all activities came to a momentary halt, citizens solemnly honored the memory of those who perished. The sirens served as a stark reminder of the pain of that day three years ago, urging society as a whole to renew its vigilance regarding safety. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, along with sounding the sirens, ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at City Hall and other major public institutions, and directed all employees to participate in the mourning.
A memorial service for the 3rd anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy was held at Gwanghwamun Square. An estimated 850 people, including bereaved families, citizens, and government officials, attended the service to pay their respects to the victims. The solemn ceremony was jointly organized by the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Council, the Citizens' Countermeasures Committee, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Attendees offered flowers, observed a moment of silence to remember the deceased, and conveyed their deepest condolences to the families. Gwanghwamun Square transformed into a space of grief and mourning, as citizens remembered the victims in their own ways and vowed to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again.
In a video message, President Lee Jae-myung expressed his deep remorse for the Itaewon tragedy, stating, "The state was absent that day." He sincerely apologized to the bereaved families and the nation, promising to dedicate all of the nation's resources to prevent further unjust deaths. President Lee emphasized the need to thoroughly investigate the cause of the tragedy, implement preventive measures, and do everything possible to safeguard the safety of the people. His remarks are seen as focused on soothing the pain of the bereaved families and alleviating the anxieties of the public.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik pledged in his memorial address to strengthen measures to prevent the recurrence of hatred and insults directed at the victims and their families. He pointed out that the indiscriminate spread of hate speech and fake news online and offline is deeply wounding the bereaved families and vowed to work on establishing legal and institutional mechanisms to eradicate such acts. Speaker Woo also pledged that the National Assembly would actively strive to uncover the truth behind the Itaewon tragedy and establish measures to prevent its recurrence. His remarks are considered to convey an important message about strengthening the protection of vulnerable groups and fostering a healthy sense of community.
Notably, the presence of 46 family members of foreign victims, who were invited by the government, added even greater significance to the memorial service. They shared their sorrow of losing loved ones in a distant land, comforting and encouraging one another. The foreign families expressed their gratitude to the Korean government for their warm consideration and said they felt the warmth of Korean society through this visit. Their presence was a symbolic scene showing that the Itaewon tragedy was not merely a domestic issue, but an international wave of mourning.
Tonight at 7:30 PM, a memorial reading session will be held at Noksapyeong Station, with the participation of citizens and bereaved families. Poems and letters honoring the victims will be recited, and stories from the bereaved families will be shared. The memorial reading session is expected to be a heartwarming time to share sorrow and offer comfort and hope to one another. Noksapyeong Station, a place that holds the pain of the Itaewon tragedy, will be transformed into a meaningful space to honor the memory of the victims and pledge to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again through the memorial reading session.
