'First Chuseok Without Family' Gwangju Building Collapse Tragedy 'Memorial Ceremony'

Reading Stories of Victims' Sons and Daughters Turns the Scene into a 'Sea of Tears'

Calls for Truth Investigation of the Disaster Cause, Punishment of Those Responsible, and Measures to Prevent Recurrence

On the morning of the 21st, Chuseok day, a memorial service for the victims was held at 10 a.m. at the site of the building collapse disaster in Hakdong redevelopment area, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Could it be that even the sky is grieving? On the 21st, the day of the national holiday Chuseok and the memorial ceremony for the Gwangju Dong-gu building collapse disaster that caused 17 casualties, heavy rain poured from early morning.

The bereaved families of the victims and local government officials preparing for the memorial ceremony looked up at the sky endlessly amid the pouring rain.

One official said to a nearby staff member, "The forecast says the rain will stop by this morning..." but could not hide their worried heart.

Perhaps the sky also wished for a smooth memorial ceremony, as the rain began to stop about 10 minutes before the event.

The memorial ceremony started with a moment of silence by all attendees, followed by introductions of the bereaved families and guests, memorial speeches, condolence messages, Catholic and Christian memorial prayers, flower offerings and incense burning, and remarks from the bereaved families.

Among the nine victims, six bereaved family members attended, along with Kim Jonghyo, Deputy Mayor of Gwangju representing Mayor Lee Yongseop, Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, National Assembly members Min Hyungbae, Lee Byunghun, Lee Hyungseok, and Jo Oseop, Park Sangho, Senior Vice Chairman of the Democratic Party Gwangju Branch, Moon Choongsik, Chairman of the People Power Party, and Hwang Sunyoung, Chairman of the Justice Party, among other politicians.

Passersby also stopped to join in.

When Lee Jin-ui, Chairman of the Bereaved Families Association, delivered the memorial speech, the area was filled with tears.

On the morning of the 21st, Chuseok day, at 10 a.m., bereaved families wiped away tears at the memorial service for the victims at the site of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Hakdong redevelopment building collapse disaster.

One daughter mourned her mother, who cherished the ultrasound photo of her soon-to-be-born grandchild, with a broken heart; a son said that when he stands on the walking path where he used to stroll holding his mother’s hand, he feels a cold and empty palm, finally realizing his mother’s absence; another daughter said she keeps calling her mother’s number even though she knows she can never hear her voice again. The stories of the bereaved families were read one by one.

Chairman Lee of the Bereaved Families Association said, "These nine people were those who should not have left, those who must not leave, those who cannot leave," and added, "We will not let the beloved ones be remembered only as victims of the disaster, nor will we reduce them to mere casualties."

Following this, condolence speeches were given by Deputy Mayor Kim Jonghyo, Assemblyman Lee Byunghun, and Mayor Im Taek of Dong-gu.

One bereaved family member cried out while offering flowers, "Youngest child, oh youngest child."

Han Seong-eun, daughter of the late Lee Gang-sook, spoke near the end of the memorial ceremony, saying, "Every time our family passes this place or sees the Unlim bus number 54, we still cannot leave this spot and cry."

She continued, "We must know the truth of the disaster?why my mother had to die in such pain," and cried out, "I want to see all the murderers pay for their crimes while alive."

She also stated, "Our family never thought that because of our death and the heartbreaking sacrifice, a world where people come before money would come overnight in Korea," but insisted, "However, for more people to live together, safety is an absolute value that cannot be exchanged for anything, and I believe that a society where all citizens empathize with this and practice it in daily life will surely exist in the world where my nephews and nieces live after I am gone."

On the morning of the 21st, Chuseok day, at 10 a.m., Han Seong-eun, a bereaved family member, is offering incense at the memorial service for the victims held at the site of the building collapse disaster in Hakdong redevelopment area, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

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