What Will Happen to the Seoul Plaza Memorial Altar... Seoul City and Bereaved Families at an Impasse

Poem "Voluntary Demolition Encouraged After 1st Anniversary"
Compensation Notice for Memorial Altar Still a Controversy

Although the first anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy has passed, the bereaved families and the Seoul Metropolitan Government remain at an impasse over whether to dismantle the memorial altar installed at Seoul Plaza. The city continues to uphold its stance of "encouraging voluntary removal after the first anniversary." However, the families insist on maintaining the altar. Additionally, the city's notice of compensation related to the altar remains a variable, drawing attention to how both sides will resolve this issue moving forward.

On the 31st, a Seoul city official said regarding the removal of the Seoul Plaza altar, "Since the first anniversary of the tragedy has just passed, we believe it is not the right time to express our position on that matter," adding, "However, the city's stance has not changed."

On the 16th, marking the start of the focused memorial period ahead of the first anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy, a foreigner is seen looking at the portraits of the victims at the altar in front of Seoul City Hall Plaza. Photo by Huh Younghan younghan@

The city has consistently stated that it intends to encourage the bereaved families to dismantle the Seoul Plaza altar themselves. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said at the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee’s audit on the 16th, "(The Seoul Plaza altar) cannot remain indefinitely for one or two years," and "We plan to encourage (the families) to voluntarily remove it if possible." Mayor Oh also expressed the view that the first anniversary is a turning point during a policy inquiry at the Seoul Metropolitan Council on August 3, saying, "I think we should at least wait until the first anniversary."

The bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy secretly installed the altar at Seoul Plaza on February 4, during a 100-day march commemorating the tragedy. Since then, the city has continuously demanded its removal and initiated legal procedures for administrative enforcement. However, considering the nature of the incident, the removal has been postponed, and eight months have passed since.

The city has communicated with the bereaved families and their representatives 27 times to date regarding the altar removal issue. A Seoul city official said, "As we have been communicating steadily so far, we will continue to engage in dialogue."

A variable is the additional imposition of compensation fees related to the unauthorized occupation of the altar. In May this year, the city issued a notice for compensation amounting to about 29 million won, including usage fees and late charges for the Seoul Plaza altar. The bereaved families paid the full amount on the 22nd of this month. However, this compensation only covers 62 days from February 4 to April 6. Compensation for usage after that period has not yet been notified. Therefore, if re-notification occurs according to legal procedures, conflicts with the families may arise again. A Seoul city official said regarding additional compensation notices, "We do not think it is the right time to comment on that matter yet."

Meanwhile, separate from the Seoul Plaza altar, the city installed a memorial facility near Exit 1 of Itaewon Station on Subway Line 6 on the 26th. The city, Yongsan District Office, and the bereaved families will form a "Compliance Inspection Team" (tentative name) to manage the memorial facility, holding regular meetings every two months and ad hoc meetings as needed.

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