Police clashes, political drama at memorial for South Korea Halloween crowd crush victims

SEOUL - A memorial event was held in Seoul’s central Gwanghwamun over the weekend to mark 100 days since theSaturday’s event, which was meant to be a time for remembering victims of the disaster, was quickly marred by altercations with police and politicians using the occasion to push their own agenda.

“Look at these streets filled with police officers. They should have been in Itaewon on Oct 29, 2022,” said Mr Lee Jeong-min, chair of the minor Justice Party, speaking at the event. Soon after the altar was instaled, the Seoul metropolitan office gave the families two days’ notice to remove it by Tuesday. The Seoul office also rejected the families’ request to hold the memorial event at the spacious and car-free Gwanghwamun Square, forcing them to the boulevard south of the square instead.

Many in the crowd at the memorial event were wearing blue to show their allegiance to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, blaming President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration for failing to protect the young people. “I was just over there at the service for Itaewon disaster victims, and I witnessed our country’s failure to explain all these young deaths,” said the party’s Floor Leader Rep Park Hong-keun. “Who’s to blame? It’s President Yoon and his incompetence and self-righteousness.”Mr Park promised that he would “without fail” have the first lady investigated and called on the crowd to “stand with Lee Jae-myung against Yoon.

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