Seoul City postpones taking down 'illegal' memorial for Itaewon tragedy

• Published date: 21 February 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday postponed the removal of a memorial that the authority claims was "illegally" set up by bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy. Family members and supporters from civic groups set up the memorial at Seoul City Square in front of the city hall in central Seoul on Saturday without giving the city government due notification. The city authority had warned the bereaved group to take down the memorial by Monday 1 p.m. or it would be brought down by force.

As the deadline approached, hundreds of police officers were stationed in different groups around a crowd of families and their supporters as they gathered in front of the memorial. Emergency rescuers were ready close by, while ambulances and police buses were lined up near the scene. There were concerns of a fierce clash between the bereaved group and those under orders from the city government.

But such clashes did not transpire. Instead, there were a series of speeches by those from the bereaved families, civic groups and political parties ? with the exception the ruling People Power Party. Ten speakers condemned the city government for not allowing the memorial at the city square and for failing to sympathize with the bereaved families after the city mayor Oh Se-hoon promised to do so.

Lee Jong-chul from the bereaved families of the Itaewon crowd crush tragedy speaks, Monday, in front of a memorial the families set up in front of Seoul City Hall condemning the city government for warning the families to dismantle the site. Other bereaved family members, supporters from civic groups and opposition party lawmakers stand behind Lee. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Lee Jong-chul, the representative of the bereaved families who lost his child in the tragedy on Oct. 29 last year, said through a microphone in front of the crowd of hundreds that he received a call from one of the city government's vice mayors. Lee said the vice mayor suggested he use a space below Noksapyeong Station, which connects to the Itaewon night-out area on foot, for the memorial.

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However Lee said he declined the suggestion because the space four basement levels down are "deep down underground" and that it meant "we might as well coop up there and stay quiet."

"The vice mayor then said he had nothing else to offer and there was nothing the city government could do for us," Lee said. "We have the...