"Please Stop These Accidents" Memorial Visits Continue on the 5th Day Since Building Collapse

Gwangju Dong-gu Office Memorial Altar Visited by 2,557 People Until Morning of 13th

"It Doesn't Feel Like Someone Else's Problem" Citizens United in Urging Prevention of Recurrence

On the morning of the 13th, a citizen is paying respects at the incense altar set up in the Dong-gu Office parking lot to mourn the victims of the building collapse in the Hakdong redevelopment area of Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] It has been five days since the victims of the building collapse accident in the redevelopment area of Gwangju occurred, but citizens' visits to the memorial altar continue.

On the morning of the 13th at around 10 a.m., four days after the memorial altar was set up on the 10th, at Dong-gu Office in Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Despite the sultry weather from the early morning due to continuous heatwaves, many citizens visiting the site could be easily seen.

Citizens stood in front of the memorial platform, offered chrysanthemums, and silently gazed at the portrait photos.

They were complete strangers, literally "others," but the absurd accident did not feel like someone else's problem, which was the consistent voice of the citizens who came here.

Aunt Go (45), who came holding the hand of her 10-year-old son, said, "Such an absurd accident no longer feels like someone else's problem," and strongly criticized, "Starting from the Sewol ferry disaster, it could happen to me anytime, so how can we trust the government and live?"

Inside the memorial altar, there are memorial tablets and portraits of the nine victims who died in the accident. Citizens slowly paid their respects as if trying to remember the faces of all nine.

Despite the hot weather, one citizen dressed in a black suit and black tie wiped tears from his eyes with a handkerchief taken from his inner pocket while offering flowers.

Kim (54) said, "Even when going to a happy event like a wedding, we dress respectfully, so how can we come to a memorial altar in casual clothes?" and added, "It is truly regrettable that such disasters, which should never happen, continue to occur..."

Most of the citizens who visited the memorial altar that morning were ordinary Gwangju residents unrelated to the victims.

On the morning of the 13th, a citizen silently looked at the portrait photo after offering incense at the incense altar set up in the Dong-gu Office parking lot to mourn the victims of the building collapse in the Hakdong redevelopment area of Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

However, all of them spoke in unison, hoping that such a tragedy would never happen again, feeling the pain as if it were their own tomorrow.

Kim Jeongrye (75, female) said, "I hesitated all day yesterday about whether to visit the memorial altar, but my heart was so heavy that I came out," and expressed her grief, "To someone, they were good parents and good children, so I hope such accidents stop happening."

As of that morning, 2,557 people had visited the memorial altar, which has been operating since the 10th in the parking lot of Dong-gu Office.

Dong-gu plans to decide the duration of the memorial altar operation after consulting with the bereaved families following the final funeral of the victims on the 14th.

Chrysanthemums have been laid at the incense altar set up in the Dong-gu Office parking lot to mourn the victims of the building collapse in the Hakdong redevelopment area of Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.