Unknown Foreign Men Pull Citizens Out Like Weeds at Disaster Site and Disappear

Testimonies Reveal "About 30 Strong-Built Foreigners Rescued"
Heroes Who Saved Citizens Amid Disaster, Including Those Rescuing People Trapped Under Corpses

On the 1st, a foreigner visiting the Halloween Day accident memorial space in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is placing a photo of a woman believed to be a victim among chrysanthemum flowers. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the day of the Itaewon tragedy, it has been reported that some foreigners who rescued citizens at risk of being crushed and then disappeared were present in a narrow alley next to the Hamilton Hotel.

According to Yonhap News on the 3rd, a man in his 20s, Mr. A, who lives in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, visited Itaewon around 6 p.m. on the 29th of last month with five friends to enjoy the Halloween festival. They entered the alley where the tragedy occurred and were crushed by the massive crowd, with Mr. A being pinned down by men.

Mr. A struggled to escape, but the weight of the people pressed down on him, making it impossible to move. Just as he was about to give up, a sturdy black man about 182 cm tall and weighing 96 kg appeared, grabbed his arm and armpit, and successfully rescued him.

According to Mr. A, the rescue process was like pulling radishes out of a field?he was quickly pulled out from the crowd. The black man who took Mr. A to a nearby Japanese bar in the alley reportedly, along with two other foreign colleagues, continued to rescue people at risk of being crushed.

In an interview with Yonhap News, Mr. A said, "The three foreigners did not seem to be employees of the bar or club, but they rescued about 30 people and quietly disappeared after the 119 emergency responders arrived. I want to find these lifesavers." Mr. A is known to have been diagnosed with a three-week recovery period.

There were other heroes as well. 'BJ Baejiteo' was pushed forward by the crowd during the tragedy. Around him, screams of "Back! Back!" and "Don't push" were rampant, but the crowd only grew. Pushed up to the alley railing, he began rescuing people below the railing before ensuring his own safety.

Baejiteo struggled to pull people up over the railing, and as more people gathered on the railing, one man said, "Don't lift them up. They can't climb up now." Nevertheless, Baejiteo continued his rescue efforts, looking at the people on the railing and saying, "Just one, just one."

A video of his rescue efforts spread through social networking services (SNS) and online communities, with netizens expressing gratitude, saying, "A true hero" and "Thank you so much." Later, Baejiteo expressed condolences on his broadcast channel, saying, "I wish a speedy recovery to those injured in the Itaewon tragedy and pray for the souls of those who sadly passed away."

Meanwhile, an employee of a nearby business told Yonhap News and other media, "It seems like we carried about 50 bodies," adding, "I found one person trapped under the bodies screaming 'Save me' and barely pulled them out from the floor. I am really glad we could save even one person."

Also, a doctor from a national hospital shared on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind,' "I was not far from Itaewon when I heard about the accident. Since I know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), I thought I could help and went to Itaewon," describing the rescue activities including CPR.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 3rd that among the 156 people who died in the Itaewon tragedy, the funerals and repatriations of 128 have been completed. Of the 128, 121 are Koreans (funerals completed), and 7 are foreigners (repatriated). Nine people remain in the mortuary, and 19 are awaiting repatriation. Among the 173 injured, 38 are hospitalized, and 135 have returned home.

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