Memorials to be installed at site of South Korea’s 2022 Halloween crowd crush tragedy

To mark the one-year anniversary of the

tragic South Korea Halloween crowd crush in 2022,

families of the victims will be installing memorials at Seoul’s Itaewon district.

The memorials, called “The Path of Memory and Safety”, will be installed at the incident site and revealed on Oct 26, reported Yonhap News Agency on Friday, citing groups representing the families.

On Oct 29, 2022, hundreds of revellers were trapped in an entangled pile when crowds moving in opposite directions converged in a narrow downhill alley next to the iconic Hamilton Hotel.

This caused some people to fall and trigger a domino effect. Many of those who were caught at the bottom died of asphyxia or cardiac arrest.

The tragedy at Itaewon, a district known for its nightlife and international cuisine,

claimed more than 150 lives.

Most of the victims were in their 20s and 30s, and at least 26 of them were foreigners.

The installation will include a signboard with the name of the memorials, and three LED-equipped bulletin boards displaying a description of the crowd crush and messages from mourners.

The memorials will also include two stone sign plates. One will be laid on the ground at the start of the accident alley, while the other will be placed at the end, said Yonhap. This is to remind visitors of the crowd crush and its victims.

A message commemorating the foreigners who died that night will be inscribed in 14 different languages on the boards.

An official of the bereaved families’ groups said: “Remembering and mourning the Itaewon tragedy and its victims are necessary to prevent the occurrence of a similar accident... and, in consideration of this, the accident site should be properly organised.”

The groups plan to retain the memorials at the incident site until a pending Bill that aims to launch a special investigation into the tragedy is enacted into law and permanent memorials are erected to replace them, said the news outlet.

In February, a

memorial event was held

in Seoul’s central Gwanghwamun district to mark 100 days since the tragedy. However, the event was marred by altercations with politicians and police, who used the occasion to push their own agenda.