[Let's Overcome Together] "Itaewon People's Expressions Vivid, Unforgettable"... Found Comfort Hearing 'These Words'

Meeting Counselors Who Visited the 'Simrijiwon Counseling Booth' and 'Maeum Ansimbus'

On the 1st, citizens are receiving counseling at the psychological support consultation center for the Itaewon incident set up at Seoul Plaza. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy reporters Byeon Seon-jin and Kim Young-won] On the 2nd, at the “Psychological Support Counseling Booth” for the Itaewon Halloween tragedy at Seoul Plaza, a kit consisting of an eye mask, earplugs, foot acupressure tools, pain relief patches, and coloring tools was placed. This was to reduce external stimuli that could act as triggers for 1 to 2 weeks for citizens experiencing psychological trauma from the shock of the incident and to help them regain stability by distributing the kits after counseling. For example, if anxiety suddenly arises, pressing body parts with the acupressure tool to promote smooth blood circulation, covering the eyes and ears to avoid external stimuli, and taking deep breaths to calm oneself are recommended.

At the counseling booth that day, if deemed necessary after psychological counseling, connections were made with psychiatric specialists. Citizens who received psychological support said that advice such as “It’s better to reduce internet use to avoid seeing malicious comments for a while” and “Regulate your breathing” was helpful. Some also responded that “Just being able to openly talk about sad events with someone was a comfort in itself.”

On the 2nd, a kit consisting of eye masks, earplugs, foot acupressure devices, pain relief patches, and coloring tools was placed at the Itaewon Halloween disaster 'Psychological Support Counseling Booth' in Seoul Plaza.

Since the Itaewon tragedy that occurred on the night of the 29th of last month, the number of people receiving counseling to overcome trauma is increasing. This is to prevent emotional damage caused by a shocking experience that some may never encounter in their lifetime. Mental health treatment experts say, “If you are startled by small things, see the trauma in your dreams, or still feel like you are at the scene, it is good to try psychological counseling at least once.”

The Seoul Mental Health Welfare Center set up counseling booths at two locations?Seoul Plaza and Noksapyeong Station Plaza?starting from the 31st of last month, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare introduced the “Mind Relief Bus” at the same locations from the 1st through the National Trauma Center. This is to provide emotional stability to bereaved families, injured persons, witnesses, and other citizens experiencing anxiety and insomnia due to the Itaewon tragedy. From the 2nd, the Mind Relief Bus was additionally deployed at four locations: Daejeon Memorial Site, Yangsan Woongsan Hospital Funeral Hall, Jeonbuk Provincial Office and Gwangju City Hall Memorial Sites, and Gangwon Provincial Office Memorial Site. On the first day, the Seoul Plaza counseling booth was visited by 19 people on the 31st of last month, and the Mind Relief Bus conducted 18 psychological counseling sessions on the 1st. Mostly, witnesses who were at the scene that night visited.

A (20s) who visited the psychological support counseling booth at Noksapyeong Station Plaza in Seoul on the 1st shared their “nightmare of that day” with two counselors for about 20 minutes and left with teary eyes. They said, “I suffered from anxiety that made my chest suddenly drop, and I couldn’t sleep.” They added, “They were just ordinary people you could see anywhere, but I can’t believe such a tragedy happened in everyday life, and I only feel more afraid of going outside.” However, they said, “The warm advice to not lose courage will be an opportunity to stand up again.”

B (20s), who visited the Mind Relief Bus at the same location that day, said, “I survived with only the loss of belongings like my bag and clothes,” but “I can’t forget the pale, terrified faces of people drifting in the crowd.” After undergoing a mental health evaluation and stress measurement that day, B received counseling from a mental health professional based on two scales. They said they found comfort in the words, “Stress and anxiety are natural” and “You are an important person.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Because trauma can cause significant wounds to individuals and requires prompt psychological support, the psychological support counseling booths and Mind Relief Buses will operate only until the 4th and 5th, respectively. The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, “Although the scheduled end date for face-to-face counseling is set as such, we will review various channels to provide continuous support if necessary.” For bereaved families and injured persons, the government is assigning one public official each to provide customized psychological support. As of the 2nd, a total of 830 face-to-face and telephone counseling sessions have been conducted.

Many people are also concerned about their mental health after unintentionally seeing photos, videos, and malicious comments about the tragedy posted on online communities. In such cases, psychological support can also be received through the crisis counseling hotline (1577-0199). A National Trauma Center official said, “Since the tragedy, calls connecting to trauma counseling at local mental health welfare centers nationwide have surged.” Jeong Jeong-yeop, director of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, advised, “To avoid long-term suffering from trauma, the affected person must feel that there is a psychological safe zone that supports them,” and “If you feel something is different from usual, it is good to receive psychological counseling.”

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