First Lady Kim Geon-hee Visits Itaewon Disaster Funeral Hall and Injured Patients, Apologizes Saying "I'm Sorry"

Mrs. Kim promises injured families, "I will visit again when you fully recover and return to your families"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] First Lady Kim Geon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, paid her respects at the funeral halls of the victims of the 'Itaewon Halloween crowd crush disaster' on the 2nd and met with families of the injured.

On that day, Kim visited funeral halls in Nowon-gu, Seoul, and Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to pay respects to the victims of the Itaewon disaster. She also met with the family of an active-duty soldier undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Mok-dong, Seoul, offering words of comfort, according to a written briefing by Lee Jae-myung, deputy spokesperson of the Presidential Office.

First, Kim visited a funeral hall in Nowon-gu, Seoul, where a teenage high school student's memorial was held. She bowed her head to the parents, saying, "I am sorry we could not prevent the accident." To the deceased's eight-year-old younger brother, she said, "I am truly sorry that the adults could not protect your sister."

Kim then moved to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Mok-dong, Seoul, to meet with the families of active-duty soldiers receiving treatment. She told the families, "I believe your son will overcome the treatment process well," and promised, "Once he recovers and returns home healthy, I will definitely visit you again."

Following this, Kim visited a funeral hall in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to console the bereaved families who lost their sons in the accident. She expressed her condolences, saying, "An unimaginable tragedy has occurred, and I am truly sorry." She also embraced an American girlfriend who had rushed back to Korea upon hearing the tragic news of her boyfriend.

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