Families and Citizens Gather in Seoul to Mark Fourth Anniversary of Itaewon Disaster
Bereaved families, survivors and citizens held a memorial prayer service at Itaewon Station before marching toward Seoul Plaza for a civic ceremony marking four years since the crowd disaster.
SEOUL — Bereaved families, survivors and citizens gathered near Itaewon Station on Saturday for a memorial prayer service marking the fourth anniversary of the crowd disaster that claimed 160 lives.
The ceremony began at the alley by Exit 1 of Itaewon Station, now known as the Road of Memory and Safety. Participants wearing purple butterfly pins and jackets placed white chrysanthemums beneath a memorial board and observed a moment of silence. Some remained at the site to read handwritten messages left for the victims.
Lee Jeong-min, an operating committee member of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association, said the gathering was not intended merely to repeat the grief of the tragedy. He said it was also a commitment to remember the victims and stand with their families and the survivors.
The memorial included prayers from representatives of Buddhism, Protestant Christianity, Won Buddhism and Catholicism. A Muslim family member also read from the Quran, reflecting the international backgrounds of those affected by the disaster. Thirty-five relatives representing 18 foreign victims attended after being officially invited by the South Korean government for the second consecutive year.
Following the prayer service, families and supporters planned to march from Itaewon Station past Seoul Station to Seoul Plaza. A larger civic memorial ceremony was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. under the theme “Toward the Truth by the Light of the Stars.” The bereaved families’ association, a civic committee, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Seoul city government were jointly organizing the event.
Information booths were also set up at Seoul Plaza ahead of the ceremony. Their themes included remembrance, disaster prevention and public safety. Organizers prepared spaces explaining enforcement rules for Korea’s Framework Act on Life Safety and invited visitors to leave memorial messages.
The bereaved families’ association and the civic committee encouraged the public to take part, saying the anniversary should support families and survivors as they continue seeking a full accounting of the disaster.
The day’s events combined mourning with renewed calls for accountability and stronger protections against mass-crowd disasters. The procession through central Seoul was designed to carry remembrance beyond the site of the tragedy and into a prominent public space, while the interfaith service emphasized solidarity across religious and national backgrounds.