Memorial Ceremony Held on 3rd Anniversary of Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park Disaster

by Song Bohyeon

Published 11 Jan.2025 20:13(KST)

Updated 28 Jul.2025 08:19(KST)

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The '3rd Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of the Gwangju Hwajeong I-Park Disaster' was held on the afternoon of the 11th at the disaster site in Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju.

About 70 people, including bereaved families seeking to honor the victims, Mayor Kang Gijung of Gwangju, members of the National Assembly, and firefighters, attended the site. The memorial ceremony proceeded in the following order: silent tribute, introduction of bereaved families and guests, memorial address, future construction plans, speech by a representative of the bereaved families, and floral tribute.

Hwajeong I-Park Collapse Accident 3rd Anniversary Memorial Ceremony. Yonhap News

An Jeongho, representative of the Hwajeong I-Park Bereaved Families Association, said, "Time has passed indifferently, and it is already the third anniversary," adding, "We must use this unprecedented accident as a lesson so that such incidents never happen again." He continued, "Even now, at this very moment, countless disasters are continuing to occur in our country," and expressed his anger, saying, "Each time, the government not only fails to take responsibility, but has never even offered a proper apology, which makes me angry as a bereaved family member."

In his memorial address, Mayor Kang stated, "We must not forget the determination for safety in our hearts, the mourning for the victims, and the comfort for the bereaved families," and added, "Gwangju is once again facing sorrow due to an airplane disaster. We must create an even safer city so that social disasters never happen again."

Meanwhile, at around 3:46 p.m. on January 11, 2022, a collapse occurred at the construction site of Building 201 of Hwajeong I-Park in Seo-gu, Gwangju, where HDC Hyundai Development Company was carrying out new construction. The 39th floor, which was undergoing concrete pouring, collapsed, killing six workers and injuring one. Investigation results found that the accident was caused by a combination of factors, including unauthorized changes to construction methods without structural review and the arbitrary removal of supports for upper floors.