[News Issue] Tragedy on an Ordinary School and Work Commute... 30 Years Since the Seongsu Bridge Collapse

October 21, 1994, 7:38 AM.

The scene during the collapse of Seongsu Bridge on October 21, 1994

What was an ordinary commute to work and school, no different from any other day, instantly turned into a horrific disaster scene.

A 48-meter section of the Seongsu Bridge deck, connecting Seongsu-dong in Seongdong-gu and Apgujeong-dong in Gangnam-gu, collapsed with a loud "thud" in an instant.

As a result of this accident, a total of 32 citizens, including Muhak Girls' High School students on their way to school and office workers commuting to work, each carrying their own day, lost their lives, and 17 were injured. The accident occurred during the rush hour when vehicles were crowded, making the damage even greater.

The Seongsu Bridge was completed in 1979. Citizens, who could never have imagined that a bridge only 15 years old would collapse, were stunned upon seeing the urgent news flash. Soon, phone calls flooded in from nearby workplaces and schools to check on the safety of their family members.

Those who narrowly escaped the disaster breathed a sigh of relief, but the families of the 32 victims still have time frozen on that day 30 years ago.

On the 21st, bereaved families attending the 30th anniversary joint memorial service for the Seongsu Bridge collapse accident held in front of the memorial tower at the north end of Seongsu Bridge in Seoul wiped away their tears. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

October 21, 2024, 11:00 AM.

A joint memorial service was held in front of the Seongsu Bridge Memorial Tower near the northern ramp of Seongsu Bridge in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, to console the spirits of the disaster victims.

The bereaved families read eulogies and called out the names of each of the 32 victims who died in the disaster. Some family members wiped away tears.

Kim Hak-yoon, who lost his older brother, the late Kim Jung-sik, in the disaster, said in his eulogy, "For the past 30 years, I have spent my days in tears, burying my siblings and parents in my heart." Kim Yang-su, a representative of the bereaved families, said, "Although 30 years have passed since the accident, the families are still deeply saddened every October," and added, "We hope that such accidents will never happen again in our society."

On this day, the families expressed regret regarding the relocation of the memorial tower.

The Seongsu Bridge Memorial Tower was built in 1997, three years after the accident. Although it is right next to Seoul Forest, it is located in a remote area between the Gangbyeonbuk-ro, a road exclusively for cars, making accessibility poor.

There were voices calling for its relocation to Seoul Forest so that more citizens could see it, but the relocation failed due to a lack of agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Representative Kim said, "It has become a place that no one cares about unless there is an event or the bereaved families visit," and added, "I hope citizens can remember and be aware of it while taking a walk, saying 'There is a place like this.'"