On Oct. 29, around 100,000 people gathered to celebrate Halloween along the streets of Itaewon in Seoul, South Korea. Party-goers had little room to move or breathe in the extremely dense and suffocating crowds.
The fatal stampede crushed more than 150 people to their death, and left over 130 others injured, most of these victims being women and people in their 20s.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a week-long national mourning period following the incident. Memorial altars have been set up for mourners to pay respects.
The event’s severity led to an investigation resulting in the South Korean police and prime minister admitting responsibility for failing to prevent the remorseful outcome.
Many argue that there were warning signs present days, and even weeks, before the incident, which should have alerted officials to intervene. Estimates already presumed well ahead of the event that there could be a crowd as large as 100,000 gathering in the district of Itaewon, yet the police put a scarce amount of safety measures into action.
Some have compared the disaster to the 2014 Sewol Ferry Tragedy, where more than 300 victims, mainly high school students, passed due to the country’s lack of safety regulations and negligence. South Koreans believe that the Itaewon stampede is another example of the government failing to protect younger generations and refusing to carry out promises of change.
This event is yet another factor adding to the declining public trust in the Korean government.
On Saturday, Nov. 5, thousands of protestors took to the streets in candlelit vigils, honoring the victims of the disaster in Itaewon and demanding justice from authorities.
Protesters held signs carrying the significant time of 6:34 pm, indicating the first of several emergency phone calls made to warn the police. Others expressed their frustration with the government through signs reading, “The people are dying, do you call this a country?” and, “We could have saved the victims… the government should recognize their responsibility.”
Now, citizens are demanding for the resignation of President Yoon. They hope to unseat the Yoon administration in a similar way to the protests which followed the Sewol Ferry Tragedy, leading to the impeachment of former President Park.
Written on many signs was the phrase, “Stepping down is an expression of condolence.”
Koreans are praying for change once again.
