"Still Remembering and Loving"... Seongdong-gu Holds 30th Anniversary Joint Memorial Ceremony for Seongsu Bridge Accident
Published 17 Oct.2024 08:02(KST)
On October 21, around 40 people including bereaved families, Muhak Girls' High School staff and student representatives gathered in front of the memorial monument near the north end IC of Seongsu Bridge... From 11 AM, the event proceeded with a moment of silence, flower offering and incense burning, memorial speeches, and reading of the memorial inscription, followed by a memorial poem reading by a Muhak Girls' High School student representative
Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) announced that on October 21, a joint memorial service for the victims of the Seongsu Bridge collapse will be held in front of the memorial tower near the northern end IC of Seongsu Bridge.
The Seongsu Bridge collapse accident occurred around 7:40 a.m. on October 21, 1994, when the upper part of Seongsu Bridge collapsed, resulting in 32 citizens dead and 17 injured, causing many casualties.
In response, Seoul City built a memorial tower on October 21, 1997, to honor the victims, and Seongdong-gu has supported the memorial service every year in consultation with the bereaved families.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, for several years the memorial service was held only with the participation of bereaved families at their request, but this year, on the 30th anniversary, the bereaved families and Seongdong-gu will hold a joint memorial service together.
About 40 people, including bereaved families, staff and student representatives of Muhak Girls' High School, will attend this memorial service. It will begin at 11 a.m. with a moment of silence to honor the deceased spirits, followed by flower offerings and incense burning, memorial speeches, and reading of the memorial inscription. A student representative from Muhak Girls' High School will recite a memorial poem honoring the seniors who lost their lives in the accident.
The district cleans the memorial tower and maintains the surrounding trees every year before the memorial service, and on the day of the service, safety personnel will be deployed to thoroughly prevent safety accidents for bereaved families and mourners.
Kim Yang-su, representative of the bereaved families of the Seongsu Bridge victims, said, "Although 30 years have passed since the accident, the bereaved families still fall into deep sorrow every October. We hope that such accidents will no longer occur in our society." He also expressed deep gratitude to Seongdong-gu for their continuous interest and support for the bereaved families every year.
Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "Through the joint memorial service, I hope to honor the souls of the victims and convey warm condolences to the bereaved families. We will also pay closer attention to everyday safety to ensure that no residents suffer from unexpected accidents in the future."
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