'Gwangju Collapse Accident' Victims' Farewell Ceremony in Tears... "Rest in Peace in a Better Place"

Among 6 Victims, 4 from Gwangju Region Hold Funeral Ceremony on 27th

"Remembering a Life Dedicated as a Wonderful Father and Husband"

On the morning of the 27th, at the funeral procession for the victims of the Gwangju apartment collapse accident, the bereaved families were unable to place the portrait photos.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] "I cannot forget the deepened voice and white hair from living for the family."

On the morning of the 27th, at a funeral hall in Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Like any other funeral hall where families and acquaintances are sent off first, it was filled with grief and sorrow, but especially on this day, it felt even more intense.

A funeral ceremony was held for the construction workers who lost their lives in the Gwangju apartment collapse accident that occurred last month.

On the first floor of this funeral hall, a joint memorial altar was set up with the spirit tablets of all the deceased, and condolence wreaths sent by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and local members of the National Assembly filled the lobby.

Among the six victims, the mourning rooms for four who had local ties were prepared on the 25th, 45 days after the collapse, and a three-day funeral was held.

The mourning room for one victim with ties to Gangneung, Gangwon-do, was set up locally on the same day, and the funeral for the first victim recovered three days after the collapse was held individually in Seoul, the victim’s hometown.

The bereaved families were immersed in sorrow as they bid farewell to those who tragically lost their lives at the apartment construction site built in violation of the law.

Everywhere, sighs such as "How could this happen?" and "Oh no" poured out as they gently touched the portrait photos of family members they would never meet again. Mourners bowed their heads and wiped away tears.

The masks worn due to COVID-19 were soon stained with tear marks.

The bereaved families and mourners offered chrysanthemums on the coffins and bowed their heads in silent prayer to comfort the spirits of the deceased.

Throughout the funeral, the bereaved could not hide their grief and burst into tears once again as they watched the coffins being moved to the hearse. They struggled to maintain their composure, needing support as they took difficult steps.

The bus carrying the bereaved and the hearse headed toward Yeongnak Park in Hyo-ryeong-dong, Buk-gu.

The bereaved sobbed, "On the 11th, we heard the shocking news and anxiously waited, but there was no rescue news. Seeing you return in such a tragic state, even our tears have dried up, and we can only wail while beating our chests."

They continued, "We will forever hold you in our hearts and remember your devoted life as a wonderful father and husband. We pray that you lay down your heavy burdens in a good place and rest peacefully in a new world with only beautiful hearts."

Meanwhile, the accident occurred around 3:46 p.m. on the 11th of last month when the internal structures and exterior walls of 16 floors from the 23rd to the 38th floor of Apartment Building 201 collapsed during concrete pouring work. At that time, the victims were responsible for window installation, plastering, and fire-fighting equipment work inside the 28th to 31st floors.

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