Yongsan-gu Provides Equal Living Stability Funds to Families of 26 Deceased Foreigners as for Nationals

Yongsan-gu Provides Living Stability Funds to Families of 26 Foreign Victims in Itaewon Accident & Payment Procedures Handled by Yongsan-gu Regardless of Victims' Residence & Funeral Costs 15 Million KRW, Relief Funds 20 Million KRW, Separate Housing Support & Same as for Nationals... Yongsan-gu Operates Disaster Psychological Support Cafe

On the 1st, items mourning the foreign victims of the Itaewon accident were placed at Exit 1 of Itaewon Station.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Heeyoung Park) will provide living stabilization funds to the families of foreign victims who died in the Itaewon accident.

They will receive up to 15 million KRW for funeral expenses and 20 million KRW in relief funds, the same as Korean nationals.

Initially, it was decided that the local government of the deceased's residence would handle the payment of support funds for foreign victims as with Korean nationals, but this has been changed.

Yongsan-gu will take full responsibility. The support budget will be initially covered by the district's contingency funds and later reimbursed by national funds.

There are a total of 26 eligible individuals: 5 from Iran, 4 from China, 4 from Russia, 2 from the United States, 2 from Japan, and 1 each from France, Australia, Norway, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka.

Accommodation expenses for bereaved families will also be provided up to 70,000 KRW per night per household, the same as for Korean nationals.

Required application documents include the relief fund and funeral expense application form, death certificate, and a copy of the bank account passbook. A one-on-one public official dispatched from Seoul City or other authorities will receive the application documents.

Once the embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms the bereaved family status, the district will disburse the relief and funeral funds.

For more details, please contact the Welfare Policy Division of Yongsan-gu.

Heeyoung Park, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “We are grateful to the government for deciding to provide living stabilization funds equal to those for Korean nationals on humanitarian grounds,” and added, “We will actively cooperate with Seoul City and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to smoothly complete the payment procedures.”

The district will continue psychological counseling for foreign bereaved families and witnesses in cooperation with the National Trauma Center until the 5th.

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Heeyoung Park) plans to provide disaster psychological support services at the district level separately from the Ministry of Health and Welfare or Seoul City, targeting residents, employees, and Itaewon merchants related to the Itaewon accident.

This follows Mayor Heeyoung Park’s directive at the Yongsan-gu emergency response meeting after the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the morning of November 1 to promptly prepare response measures.

A district official explained, “Although psychological counseling centers are operated at the central government level, it is necessary to provide psychological support at our district level as well,” adding, “We have prepared disaster psychological support plans including residents and Itaewon merchants.”

Anyone experiencing mental distress due to the Itaewon accident?including bereaved families, injured persons, witnesses, general residents, Yongsan-gu office employees, and Itaewon merchants?can receive psychological support.

Bereaved families and injured persons will receive psychological support through face-to-face or telephone counseling after receiving guidance messages. Trauma treatment programs will also be provided in connection with specialized medical institutions. For those who find it difficult to visit, home-visit medical care is also available.

Witnesses and general residents can receive basic psychological support counseling via the Mental Health Crisis Counseling Hotline or the Korean Psychological Association. If necessary, linkage with specialized institutions such as mental health welfare centers is possible.

Itaewon merchants and Yongsan-gu employees will be able to access various psychological support services through the (tentatively named) Yongsan-gu Disaster Psychological Support Cafe, which will be set up near the district office. The cafe will open on the 8th and offer services for psychological stabilization such as herbal and aroma therapy.

Mayor Heeyoung Park said, “Having directly faced the victims at the scene, I understand better than anyone the mental suffering they are going through,” and added, “I will wholeheartedly provide careful psychological support.”

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