In the aftermath of the Sewol ferry sinking which killed 304 people, the government allocated a total of 1.5 trillion won ($1.06 billion) to set up a new emergency communication system. That system was officially launched last year. However, it barely worked as designed when 156 lives, most of them young people, died in a crowd crush during Halloween festivities in Itaewon on Oct. 29. From a lack of appropriate safety measures before the disaster to the authorities’ botched response afterw

The whereabouts of top figures among the police and the administration’s chain of command are being pointed out as the reasons for what exacerbated the disaster in Itaewon, which took the lives of at least 156 people. The police have been operating a special investigation division to uncover the cause of the Oct. 29 tragedy. "We have completed an investigation of 85 people, including 67 witnesses and victims, 14 employees at nearby businesses and four police officers dispatched to th

President Yoon Suk-yeol paid his fifth visit to a mourning altar for victims of the Halloween crowd crush on Friday in what has become a daily routine for the president. Yoon arrived in front of City Hall with his aides and laid a chrysanthemum on the altar before burning incense and bowing his head in silent prayer. The president has visited the same altar four times this week and additionally visited a mourning altar near the site of the tragedy on Tuesday. Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, one

On Sept. 15 and 16, Samarkand hosted a very important event: the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of State Council. It was different from previous editions due to its extensive program, comprehensive agenda and broad representation of states along with international and regional organizations. Leaders and senior representatives of about 20 states and heads of more than 10 international and regional organizations took part in the event. The unprecedented outcome of the summit

Ukrainian activists on Wednesday made the case for South Korea to care more about the war in Ukraine. If the world lets Russia win, it will be another reason North Korea will not want to give up its nuclear weapons, according to Daria Kaleniuk, the co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory. “North Korea will not give up its nuclear weapons, looking at Russia as an example and how the world lets you have your way if you have nuclear weapons,” she said in an inte

A string of safety measures being rolled out by the government shows how much of an impact the loss of 156 lives in last week’s Itaewon tragedy have had on Korean society. Prime Minister Han Duk-soo on Thursday said there will be a pan-government safety inspection on events where over 10,000 people are expected to partake, requesting regional government bodies to revamp their respective safety manuals. This was a reaction to the lack of safety measures and efforts by authorities to maintai

As official aid arrives late, expat and local communities step up to relieve financial burdens that bereaved families face here

Another senior police officer has been dismissed from her position as authorities investigate the response to the crowd disaster in Itaewon, Seoul, on Saturday that left at least 156 people dead. On Thursday, the police dismissed Senior Superintendent Ryu Mi-jin, who was in charge of monitoring the situation in Itaewon, for not taking special action despite the 11 calls made to police hours before the incident. The police agency revealed Tuesday it had received 11 calls starting from aroun

While the entire nation has been fixated on the Halloween tragedy in Seoul over the weekend, families of two miners believed to be trapped at a mine in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, have been praying for their safe return for nearly 10 days. Thursday marks the ninth day since the zinc mine collapsed on Oct. 26. The two, aged 62 and 56, are thought to be in a vertical shaft some 170 meters underground. It is unclear whether they are alive. The rescue team had a minor breakthrough early

Choi In-ae, an office worker who works for a pharmaceutical firm, has attended emergency response training sessions annually. It was a compulsory program required by her company, which she often just got it over with. After learning about the desperate call out for those who know how to perform CPR on victims at the scene of the Itaewon crowd crush, she now thinks differently about first air training. “I received emergency response training such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver from my c

The main opposition on Wednesday stepped up pressure on the government over the Itaewon tragedy, accusing concerned organizations of attempting to cover up details of the incident. “Downplaying, covering up, manipulating the situation in an attempt to reduce accountability cannot be forgiven,” Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung said at the party’s supreme council meeting Wednesday. “High-level government officials’ attitudes are in no way taking

The police are speeding up their investigation into the authorities’ part in the Itaewon disaster, while criticisms of its response to the incident rises. Following the release of 11 phone transcripts to the police, which were made hours before the incident took place on Saturday, the police have faced increasing criticism from the public and political circles, as well as pressure from the government. Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae has been put on a standby order, the first figu

Graphic images of the Itaewon disaster still inundate some media outlets, despite repeated calls to refrain from uploading and watching such content. Experts say guilt, curiosity and attention-seeking could be the drive for this continued behavior. Psychiatrist Dr. Lee Hae-kook of Catholic University St. Mary’s Hospital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, explained that people can repeatedly consume graphic scenes of social disaster out of guilt. “Compulsive guilt and sorrow -- that we

“I came here to pray. We are very sorry to the young people,” Lee Jeong-ja, 78, said, wiping away tears with a handkerchief at the joint memorial altar at Exit 1 of Itaewon Station on Wednesday afternoon. “Young people should come here, not the old people like us. I am sorry,” she said, who has a young granddaughter of similar age of the people who died in Itaewon disaster. Another man surnamed Jeon, 59, who also visited the altar, said, “My heart aches. I am so

  On the night of the Itaewon disaster on Saturday, 11 emergency calls were made to police that directly mentioned that people were being hurt or crushed, but the police were only dispatched to the scene a total of four times, police records show. While the police revealed the transcripts of those 11 calls, it was found later that a total of 79 emergency calls were made from the Itaewon area from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The exact content of those calls has not yet been identified. Of the 11 emerg