South Korea to hold 4th anniversary memorial for Itaewon crowd crush

The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Monday it will hold a commemorative event on Oct. 24 to mark the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush.

Organized jointly with the Oct. 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association, the Oct. 29 Itaewon Disaster Citizens' Response Council and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the fourth-anniversary program will be divided into two parts: a public memorial open to all without prior registration, and an official "4th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony" requiring advance sign-up.

The public memorial will be held first, at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 at Seoul Plaza. Anyone may attend on the day without registering.

The official remembrance ceremony will then be held at 10:29 a.m. on Oct. 29 — the exact time of the disaster four years ago — at Gwanghwamun North Plaza. About 1,000 people are expected to attend, including government and political party representatives, lawmakers, civic groups and members of the general public.

The ceremony will open with a moment of silence for the victims, followed by a tribute address from a government representative and remarks from a bereaved family representative. A commemorative video looking back on the four years since the disaster will be screened, and a representative from among 35 overseas bereaved family members who traveled to Korea for the event will also deliver remarks.

Novelist Jeong Bo-ra will then read a piece titled "Words of Remembrance," after which bereaved families and citizens will recite a "Fourth Anniversary Pledge." Singers and musical actors will perform in tribute to the victims.

Those wishing to attend the remembrance ceremony may register online through the event's official website from Tuesday through Oct. 19. The site can be accessed by searching "Itaewon 4th anniversary" on major portal sites. If registrations exceed capacity, final attendees will be selected by random draw.

Further details about the events are available through the secretariat for the fourth-anniversary commemorations.

Shin Ki-dong, head of the Oct. 29 Itaewon Disaster Victim Relief and Commemoration Support Team, said he hoped the event would serve as an occasion to "deeply engrave in our hearts both the spirit of remembrance — never forgetting the victims — and the spirit of solidarity, being a source of strength for one another." He also called on the public for their "warm participation and attention."