"The moment my daughter Yujin clearly called my name, it brought me comfort"

Father Who Lost Daughter in Itaewon Tragedy, Interviewed on TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory'
"I Don't Want the Children to Be Remembered Merely as One of the Number 158"

On November 22, in the main conference room of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) in Seocho-gu, Seoul, the bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy were crying out loud during a press conference where they expressed their feelings and demands. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "On that day, Father Kim Young-sik, the representative of the Justice Implementation Priests' Group, called out the children's names, and he called my daughter's name (Choi Yoo-jin) loudly and clearly, which gave me a great deal of comfort and consolation at that moment."

Choi Jeong-ju, the father who lost his daughter, the late Choi Yoo-jin, in the October 29 Itaewon disaster, said this in an interview with TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' on the 15th. Contrary to some social circles claiming that revealing the names of those who lost their lives in the Itaewon disaster constitutes secondary harm, the father wanted people to remember his daughter Yoo-jin's name.

The 16th marks the 49th-day memorial service for the October 29 Itaewon disaster. Until now, citizens who placed chrysanthemums at the memorial altar without spirit tablets or portraits, for those unknown, can now pay their respects at a memorial altar with spirit tablets and portraits. As the 49th-day memorial approaches, another form of remembrance has begun.

On the 15th, a joint memorial altar housing the portrait and memorial tablet of the Itaewon disaster victims was set up at Itaewon Plaza in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Choi said, "(They) did not allow us to even say the (Itaewon victims' names), and we could not meet the families either. It was very frustrating and difficult," adding, "At the moment when (my daughter's name was called), I unknowingly shed many tears."

Choi's daughter was born in November 2000 and was 22 years old. She was a student at NYU in the United States. Choi explained, "She was in the College of Arts, studying Music Performance, which is a department of performing arts or the College of Arts," and added, "She loved studying music, creating music herself, and singing, so she was preparing music tracks."

After losing his daughter that day, Choi experienced a time of chaos. He said, "After the funeral, when talking with my wife, we had no way to meet other families. We couldn't contact anyone here and there. Then, by chance, about a week to ten days later, I saw overseas broadcasts, or BBC, or other news reports."

A month after the 'Itaewon Disaster,' a plastic cover to protect against rain is placed over the memorial space set up at the Itaewon disaster site in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on November 29. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Through those broadcasts, Choi was able to meet others who lost family members in the Itaewon disaster. He explained, "Because of personal information protection, we couldn't even call out the names, and I hated the idea of forgetting them without even knowing who they were," adding, "The first thing I thought of was calling out the children's names and showing their photos at the memorial altar with spirit tablets and portraits, and at the memorial events and ceremonies."

Choi said he has never been near Itaewon Station since that day. Although he lived in Yongsan-gu, Seoul for a long time and knows the area around Itaewon Station very well, he has never been able to pass through there. Now, he plans to visit the place.

Choi said, "Tomorrow, I will go there (for the first time)." He is visiting Itaewon to attend the memorial ceremony held at 6 p.m.

Choi said, "I don't want the children to be remembered as just one of the 158 numbers. I want to remember each child individually. They were shining children. The 158 children were more precious stars than anyone in their 158 families." Then, Choi conveyed this message.

"There have been things done well and things done poorly over the 22 years, but Yoo-jin's mother and I are very proud and thankful that Yoo-jin was our daughter... I was very proud and thankful that Yoo-jin was my daughter, our daughter. I couldn't say this before, but I want to say it now."