Yongsan-gu, Thorough Measures for Practical Recurrence Prevention and Follow-up Actions

[Seoul District News] Park Hee-young, Yongsan District Mayor, Attends Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting on June 2 Regarding Itaewon Incident, Focuses on Follow-up Measures to Prevent Recurrence & Youth Itaewon Disaster Psychological Special Counseling Center Operation... Eunpyeong-gu Moves Joint Memorial Altar to Exit 3 of Eungam Station... Long Lines of Mourning at Dongdaemun District Office Joint Memorial Altar

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Park Hee-young) held an intensive discussion on follow-up measures to prevent recurrence of the Itaewon accident immediately after attending the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting (video) at 9 a.m. on the 2nd.

At the meeting, Mayor Park Hee-young said, “We are regularly checking on the condition of the families through staff dispatched to the funeral hall of the deceased residents in the area,” and urged, “Let us promptly implement measures to stabilize the minds and bodies of the bereaved families, witnesses, and general residents, as well as prevent recurrence.”

The district decided to form a related task force (TF) with the district mayor as the head and the deputy mayor as the deputy head, in accordance with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s policy to operate a TF for safety management measures to prevent accidents in densely crowded places. The Safety, Construction, and Transportation Bureau will oversee and establish safety management measures.

Since many mourners are concentrating at the Noksapyeong Station Plaza memorial altar and the temporary memorial altar at Itaewon Station Exit 1, the district will closely monitor vehicle flow and order maintenance in the area. Writings left by mourners will be separately stored and recorded in the future.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Park Hee-young stated, “Child education that supports integrated development must continue under any circumstances,” and requested, “I hope programs for children will proceed normally after the national mourning period ends.”

Since immediately after the accident, every morning Mayor Park Hee-young has been attending the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the Itaewon accident chaired by the Prime Minister, doing his best to promote accident handling and follow-up measures with key institutions such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Seoul City.

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Park Hee-young) is conducting special counseling for adolescents experiencing psychological difficulties due to the Itaewon accident.

Any adolescents who are injured, witnesses, or psychologically affected by the accident involving friends or acquaintances can receive counseling.

Counseling is provided face-to-face or remotely through the Yongsan-gu Youth Counseling Welfare Center. The center is a youth specialized counseling welfare institution commissioned by Yongsan-gu, located on the 4th floor of Yongsan Dream Tree Complex (329 Baekbeom-ro).

Youth wishing for face-to-face counseling can visit the center directly from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone counseling operates 24 hours a day, and online counseling is also available.

In particular, if there are many students suffering trauma from the Itaewon accident, group counseling for trauma (PTSD) is also possible. Groups of six or more at the class level can make a phone reservation and visit the Youth Counseling Welfare Center. Support is also available online via ZOOM.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Park Hee-young said, “There were also adolescent victims in this accident. It is heartbreaking and regrettable,” and added, “We will spare no effort to provide all possible support so that the children can overcome their trauma.”

The Yongsan-gu Youth Counseling Welfare Center provides one-stop services including counseling, emergency rescue, self-support, treatment, education, and information to promote the healthy growth and welfare of youth.

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) will relocate the joint memorial altar for the victims of the Itaewon tragedy to the plaza in front of Exit 3 of Eungam Station (Eunpyeong Neureun Madang) and operate it from the 3rd to the 5th.

To make it easier for the public to visit, the joint memorial altar previously set up at the Eunpyeong Cultural and Arts Center will be moved to a more accessible subway exit location. The Eunpyeong Cultural and Arts Center memorial altar will operate only until the 2nd.

The joint memorial altar is open to anyone who wishes to pay respects, and the operating hours remain the same, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The district will assign public officials to the joint memorial altar at all times to ensure safe and orderly mourning.

Eunpyeong-gu Mayor Kim Mi-kyung expressed, “We pray for the repose of those who passed away in the Itaewon tragedy and extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” and added, “We wish for the speedy recovery of the injured who are undergoing treatment.”

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) announced that a total of 458 mourners (as of 10 p.m. on the 1st) visited the Dongdaemun-gu joint memorial altar set up on the 31st of last month for the victims of the ‘Itaewon tragedy.’

At the memorial altar installed in front of the district office plaza, Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Lee Pil-hyung, Deputy Mayor Choi Hong-yeon, and heads of various departments paid their first respects, followed by National Assembly member Jang Kyung-tae, Dongdaemun-gu Council Chairman Lee Tae-in, Dongdaemun Fire Station Chief Oh Jeong-il, Dongdaemun Police Station Chief Na Young-min, and Lee Young-seop, Chairman of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, among other representatives from various sectors.

The joint memorial altar saw a continuous flow of residents coming to pay their respects. The mourning process involved writing heartfelt messages on a board commemorating the deceased, placing prepared chrysanthemum flowers on the podium, and observing a moment of silence for about 10 seconds. The joint memorial altar will operate until 10 p.m. on the 5th.

Residents who finished mourning expressed their sorrow and sadness over the young lives lost in the unfortunate accident.

Resident Mr. Kim (58) said after paying respects, “These students, who might have been our children, crossed a river from which they will never return without fulfilling their dreams. I pray that they rest peacefully in heaven.”

Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Lee Pil-hyung visited the joint memorial altar on the morning of the 1st, read each note left by residents on the memorial board, and said, “I am deeply saddened and heartbroken by this indescribable tragedy. I sincerely pray for the repose of the deceased and the peace of the families left behind. Mourning is possible until the 5th, so I hope residents will share their condolences together.”

During the national mourning period (October 30 to November 5), Dongdaemun-gu will cancel or postpone all festival events it hosts and plans to strengthen safety inspections for upcoming events and multi-use facilities in the area.