South Korean Catholics joined a memorial program including Mass in the national capital Seoul ahead of the third anniversary of the Halloween stampede tragedy that claimed 159 lives, mostly young people. The event at Seoul’s Itaewon Square drew about 400 people, mostly Catholics, including family members of the victims, on Oct. 27.
The memorial was organized by the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice, and the mass was presided over by Father Andrew Choi Jae-cheol, parish priest of St. Mark’s Church. During the program, participants laid flowers and lit 159 candles in memory of 159 victims who died in the stampede on Oct. 29, 2022, reportedly due to a crush caused by overcrowding in Itaewon district, a popular hangout site.
Names of all the victims were called out one by one as a mark of tribute to their memories. Father Choi termed the tragedy a “social disaster” and prayed for the souls lost and their families. He urged the authorities to “reveal the truth, ensure a thorough investigation, bring those responsible to justice, and help us build a safe nation where such a tragedy never happens again.” Father Leo Ha Chun-soo, who delivered the homily at the Mass, said that precious lives have been lost because “the state failed to fulfill its role.”
Teresa Kim Nam-hee, mother of a victim, Gabriella Shin Ae-jin, said she has been appalled by the apathy of some people and the negligence of the government in ensuring justice for the victims. She alleged that some people played music on high-volume speakers to disrupt the memorial mass, which revealed “how cruel people can be.” “At the time, when uncontrollable anger and resentment threatened to consume me, I was able to endure that day because there were priests and nuns who kept the line in order and celebrated the mass with me without wavering,” she added. She hoped that the pain and suffering of the Itaewon tragedy would end “when our society empathizes with each other’s pain, holds hands, and puts life first.” Rose Lee Jeong-mi, who joined the memorial, said that the tragedy is a wake-up call to build a country safe for the next generations to live. “I will remember the pain of the bereaved families who carry painful memories and pray that I can share in their pain,” she added.
