Families of Itaewon tragedy victims demand apology from president

Families of the Itaewon crowd crush victims demand a formal apology from the government in a press conference in Seocho District, southern Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

By Lee Yeon-woo

The family members of the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush victims demanded a formal apology from the government on Tuesday, accusing it of having failed to prevent the tragedy from happening.

In a press conference held in southern Seoul, the parents of six victims urged the government to respond to their requests. In a six-point proposal, the families called for a sincere apology from the government, a thorough investigation into the tragedy, measures to allow victims or their families to participate in the ongoing investigation, provide assistance to the victims, and set up memorials and measures to protect the deceased from being criticized.

It was the first time that the families of the crowd crush that killed 158 people in Itaewon, Seoul on Halloween weekend, gathered and held a press conference to seek an apology from the government.

Parents of the victims became tearful as they said who their children were and what, they think, went wrong that night.

The mother of one victim, who is an Austrian national, said the hardest thing she had to endure after losing her son was the fact that no one is taking responsibility for the tragedy.

"The hardest part was that political leaders didn't admit what they did was wrong. That is very painful for me," she said.

Her son was a student at Yonsei University Korean Language Institute. According to her, he came to his mother's country to find his roots.

The mother of the crowd crush victim said she wanted to do what she can for the foreign nationals who were killed.

"The Korean government owes me an apology. I need to get it, but I have to go back to Austria on Nov. 28. I will fight in Vienna to make that happen," she said.

A mother of a victim of the Itaewon crowd crush sobs during a press conference in Seocho District, southern Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

As she continued her words with a trembling voice, the small hall where the press conference was held was filled with the sounds of sobbing by other bereaved family members. Each family member held photos of their children in their arms.

One family member, who couldn't stop crying during the press conference, had to be helped by others as he left the hall. He cried out, "Please take us instead, and return our children!"

The press conference was organized by the non-profit advocacy group, Lawyers for a Democratic Society or "Minbyun." Three lawyers affiliated with Minbyun and the parents of six victims attended the event.

After the Itaewon crowd crush, Minbyun formed a task force to assist the bereaved families.

Oh Min-ae, a lawyer and coordinator of Minbyun's task force team, said she and other team members met the families of the Itaewon tragedy victims twice and organized the press conference to give them an opportunity to tell the public about their requests.

The father of another victim became emotional while reading a letter he wrote to his 26-year-old daughter who died in the crowd crush.

"Goodbye, my daughter. I cannot believe you are no longer here. My heart is filled with immense pain for not being able to protect you from the tragedy," he said.

He explained that he wrote the letter to his only daughter and read it aloud there, hoping she would hear it in the afterlife.

Families of the Itaewon crowd crush victims hold photos of victims during a press conference in Seocho District, southern Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

He was critical of the government for letting the crowd crush happen.

"I would like to call out the government here on behalf of my daughter. The government arrested the former defense minister and attempted to investigate the former president for the past government's failure to protect a South Korean national," he said.

He was referring to a former fishery ministry official who went missing in the West Sea while on duty and was killed by North Korean soldiers hours later.

"(As a father of an Itaewon tragedy victim) I would like to ask the government questions. Where was the state when the safety of its nationals was endangered and they were killed? What did it do when the nationals were dying? Now I demand the government to answer my questions," he said.

Another father of a victim claimed that the crowd crush was tantamount to "negligent homicide."

"From top to bottom, the Oct. 29th Itaewon crowd crush was negligent homicide driven by a lack of safety awareness. There had been calls for help starting at 6:34 p.m., nearly four hours before the crowd crush, but the police ignored them," he said.

Minbyun represents the families of 34 Itaewon tragedy victims. The lawyers said they would consult with their clients before announcing what kind of legal measures they intend to take.

When asked to comment on the families' requests, the presidential office said financial compensation for the victims will be made earlier than expected. But it stopped short of mentioning anything about President Yoon Suk-yeol's formal apology for the tragedy.