You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

       Haunted by Guilt, Vilified Online: A Year After the Seoul Crowd Crush

       Survivors of the Itaewon disaster and relatives of victims continue to wrestle with unanswered questions and grief as they push for official accountability.

       A memorial to the victims was unveiled on Thursday in the cramped alley in Itaewon where the stampede occurred last year.

       Haunted by Guilt, Vilified Online: A Year After the Seoul Crowd Crush

       Survivors of the Itaewon disaster and relatives of victims continue to wrestle with unanswered questions and grief as they push for official accountability.

       A memorial to the victims was unveiled on Thursday in the cramped alley in Itaewon where the stampede occurred last year.Credit...

       Supported by

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

       Share full article

       13

       By Choe Sang-Hun

       Photographs by Chang W. Lee

       Reporting from Seoul

       Oct. 27, 2023

       Over Halloween weekend last year, nearly 160 young people died in a crowd crush in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul. For those who survived or lost loved ones, the past year has been a time of deep frustration and trauma.

       A government investigation failed to explain why desperate calls to the police were ignored for hours. Senior officials refused to take responsibility. The disaster quickly became politicized, dividing people — and quarreling political parties — over who should be held accountable. Many wrote online that the young victims and survivors should blame themselves. The survivors said they felt revictimized.

       In December, Lee Jae-hyeon, 16, a survivor who had lost two of his best friends in the crowd crush, took his own life after battling online detractors of the victims. In a video message, he asked his parents not to blame themselves for his death.

       “I wish that I would have parents like you in my next life,” he said.

       As the first anniversary of the disaster approached, survivors and victims’ family members struggled with unanswered questions, longing for their loved ones and dismay at the government’s response.

       Seo Byong-woo, 31, survivor

       Credit...

       “I came out alive, but I could not save her although she was standing right next to me.”

       The most haunting thing has been the sense of guilt among survivors and families who feel they failed to protect their friends and children.

       We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

       Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

       We are confirming your access to this article, this will take just a moment. However, if you are using Reader mode please log in, subscribe, or exit Reader mode since we are unable to verify access in that state.

       Confirming article access.

       If you are a subscriber, please log in .

       Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT