[Itaewon Tragedy] "Expressing Condolences with Flowers Received for the First Time"

Memorial Space in Front of Itaewon Exit 1
Notes and Chrysanthemums Expressing Sorrow
Memorial Altars Operated in 17 Cities and Provinces Nationwide
About 100 Itaewon Businesses to Close

On the 31st, a memorial space for the 'Itaewon Tragedy' was set up in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station. Passersby mourned the victims and left messages of condolence. / Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

"I offer my condolences with the first flowers I have ever received."

"My heart breaks for the pure and passionate young people who came to this street to do what they could at their age, only to face an unexpected tragedy."

"I hope no more victims will come, and I lay 154 chrysanthemums in tribute."

"I am sorry I could not be with you or help you. Please, do not suffer anymore."

On the morning of the 31st, at the memorial space in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station in Seoul, citizens expressed their sorrow for the teenagers and people in their twenties who were just beginning their lives. It is known that among the victims were one middle school student and five high school students. Citizens stopped at the memorial space filled with chrysanthemums and condolence messages. People read each message carefully, unable to leave. Some placed 154 white chrysanthemums next to the memorial space, matching the number of victims. Those reading the messages found the flowers, brought them over, and placed them at the memorial. Even then, they remained motionless for a long time.

The alley to the left of the Hamilton Hotel, where the tragedy occurred, was blocked off by police for investigation. Due to the control, the Itaewon area was unusually quiet, almost unbelievable as the place where over 100 people died two days prior. However, trash and clothing still lay scattered on the road, telling the story of the disaster. Passersby expressed their sorrow as they passed by the accident site.

On the 31st, a memorial space for the 'Itaewon Tragedy' was set up in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station. Passersby mourned the victims and left messages of condolence.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

At the joint memorial altar set up at Seoul Plaza, President Yoon Suk-yeol visited at 9:30 a.m., followed by leaders from both ruling and opposition parties, prominent figures from politics, government, and business, as well as citizens who mourned the victims. Memorial altars will be operated at Seoul Plaza, Noksapyeong Station, and 17 other cities and provinces nationwide until the national mourning period ends on November 5. The Itaewon Tourism Special Zone Council decided that about 100 businesses would not operate. Naver and Kakao created online spaces to commemorate the victims of the Itaewon tragedy. The government, public institutions, local governments, private companies, and civic groups canceled or scaled down unnecessary events and festivals to honor the victims.

The investigation into the cause of the tragedy has also begun in earnest. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s investigation headquarters deployed 475 personnel to secure evidence and identify the victims. The investigation headquarters was established at the Yongsan Police Station where the accident occurred, with 151 members in the forensic team, 152 in the victim protection team, and 105 in the dedicated investigation team working on accident management and cause identification. From around 2 p.m. that day, the dedicated investigation team planned to conduct a joint forensic examination with the National Forensic Service.

On the 31st, a memorial space for the 'Itaewon Tragedy' was set up in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station. Passersby mourned the victims and left messages of condolence.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Earlier, at around 10:15 p.m. on the 29th, a crowd surged in Itaewon, Seoul, coinciding with Halloween Day, resulting in a crush accident. After three years without social distancing, a crowd gathered in a narrow sloped alleyway about 4 meters wide, leading to the tragic crush accident. As of 11 p.m. the previous day, the death toll was 154, with 33 seriously injured and 116 lightly injured, totaling 303 victims. All deceased have been identified. Among the foreign victims, there were 26 deaths: 5 from Iran, 4 from China, 4 from Russia, 2 from the United States, 2 from Japan, and one each from France, Australia, Norway, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka.

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