This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.



Three years on, the pain from the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, central Seoul, still runs deep - particularly among those who lost their beloved family members in the tragedy.

"My son was a young man full of energy and dreams," said the father of French victim Guenego Limamou Laye during a press conference with families of foreign victims in central Seoul on Tuesday.

According to the father, his son had loved Korean culture and the country's energy - so much so that he decided to revisit Seoul.

"My son's trip to Korea was supposed to be a time of inspiration and a precious opportunity in his life," he said, holding the hand of his daughter, who had come with him for the commemoration. As he spoke, she quietly wiped away her tears.

The crowd crush - which killed 159 people, including 26 foreign nationals from 14 countries - occurred on Oct. 29, 2022, during the first Halloween celebrations after most Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

For the first time since the tragedy, the Lee Jae Myung government officially invited families of foreign victims to take part in the commemoration ceremonies. Family members of 21 victims from 12 countries arrived on Friday to attend events through Wednesday.

"Was there enough police in this nightmare?" asked the father of Norwegian victim Stine Evensen, his voice trembling with grief.



Questions that remain

Families of foreign victims said they are still seeking answers about what happened that night and why preventive measures weren't taken.

"Why didn't they make the road one-way if they knew people were entering from both directions?" asked the mother of Australian victim Grace Rached, adding that "even minimal measures" could have saved lives.

Some also questioned how the bodies of their children were treated after the tragedy, particularly the process of embalming before repatriation.

"All we heard was that the funeral company requested embalming because the body had to be flown like cargo," said Stine's mother. "We didn't learn about this until after her body arrived in Norway."

On Monday, the National Commission for the Investigation of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster met with family members of foreign victims visiting Korea.

According to the commission, 30 family members from 10 countries - including Iran, France, Norway, Russia and Australia - were interviewed throughout the day. Investigators asked how they first heard the news of the tragedy and sought additional information about the victims.



"This year, it's about fighting for justice - for Grace and for all the victims," said Grace's mother, who had also visited Korea every year for the commemorative events.

"That's why I accepted the invitation this year. The investigators asked good questions, and I hope our answers will help. What we want is justice."

The commission, established to uncover the causes of the tragedy and safeguard the rights of victims and their families, held its first in-person investigation in August with the family of a Russian victim.

Although the commission was launched in September last year, its probe did not begin until June due to delays in appointing a director-general.

Remembering the lives lost

Commemorative events began on Saturday, as families of foreign victims visited the tragedy site - for many, it was their first time there.

"I felt so emotional as soon as I saw the accident site," the sister of Iranian victim Somayeh Moghimi Nezhad said during Tuesday's press conference, recalling her visit to the alleyway over the weekend.



Families of both Korean and foreign victims, along with other mourners, on that day joined a march from Itaewon to Seoul Plaza in central Seoul, where a memorial ceremony took place. The event drew some 4,000 participants, including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who delivered a commemorative speech.

"It was not simply an accident but a tragic disaster born from the collapse of public accountability and the...