Playing Music Next to Ambulance, "Let's Go to Hongdae and Keep Drinking" ... Another Tragedy in Itaewon

"Too Many People Took Photos of the Deceased"
Korean Neuropsychiatric Association: "Efforts Needed to Prevent Further Distribution"

On the 29th, at the site of the Halloween accident in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 119 rescue workers were waiting to carry out rescue operations. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] On the 29th, a large-scale crush accident occurred in the Itaewon area of Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and medical personnel who assisted with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the scene have been sharing their experiences.

According to the anonymous community 'Blind' on the 31st, in a post titled "The Horrible Things at the Itaewon Scene" uploaded the previous day, a writer identified as A, affiliated with the National Cancer Center, was near Itaewon that night and headed to Itaewon after hearing about the accident.

Upon arriving at the scene, A described the situation as "chaos with the sound of ambulances and cries." A was able to enter the scene after identifying themselves as medical personnel under police control. They explained, "Those already lying on the ground had faces so pale they showed cyanosis, and an emergency medical technician was performing CPR on one person lying down, but blood was coming from their nose and mouth."

A said, "The most horrible thing was the onlookers who did not help but just watched." They added, "While a patient was being loaded into an ambulance and transported to the hospital and I was taking a short break, I overheard a passerby in their 20s say, 'Shall we go to Hongdae and keep drinking?' I was horrified by the very nature of human beings." They continued, "I think I will never forget those who felt nothing in the face of others' deaths and were just looking for the next drinking party."

The bystander cases were not limited to this during the overnight rescue operations. Despite paramedics arriving and performing CPR on cardiac arrest patients, videos showing some citizens dancing and singing along to the song 'Sex On The Beach' next to the ambulance went viral online, sparking public outrage. The day after the accident, a screen displaying the phrase 'No crush, let's have fun' was filmed at a place presumed to be a club, continuing the controversy.

Another netizen said, "I was at the scene and immediately participated (in rescue activities), but there were too many people taking photos of the bodies." Various photos and videos capturing the scene of the accident, the crowd, the rescue efforts, and even the bodies rapidly spread through social networking services (SNS).

Scene of the crush accident in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu on the morning of the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding this situation, on the 30th, the Disaster Mental Health Committee of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association issued a statement saying, "With the large number of casualties, the public has experienced another major psychological trauma," and emphasized, "To prevent additional trauma from this disaster, the spreading of unfiltered videos and photos from the scene of the accident must stop."

The association pointed out, "Horrific videos and photos from the accident scene are being shared unfiltered on SNS and other platforms by some," adding, "Such actions damage the honor of the deceased and victims and can lead to secondary and tertiary harm." They further stated, "Since this can cause psychological trauma to many citizens, everyone must exercise civic awareness and strive to prevent further dissemination."

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