A man offers a flower at a joint memorial altar for victims of the deadly Halloween crowd surge, in Naksopyeong, near the district of Itaewon in Seoul on October 31, 2022. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)
November 1, 2022: A small section of the social media users is saying that some unwanted activities of young people contributed more or less to the Itaewon tragedy, an accusation that many view as extreme disrespect for the lives lost and families of the victims as well as everyone who was there on that night.
In an article, a journalist pointed out that many victims just finished exams, an occasion where they justifiably wanted to celebrate, whereas others were love birds who wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, or friends who were just happy to be in the company of other friends. Those who escaped death and injury were the same. Everyone who was there that night was the same, the article said.
Rumours about drug use or panic-triggering pranks only insulted the people who took part in the ill-fated celebration, many of whom never came home, the article said, adding that such rumours were spreading on the social media worldwide.
The only way to cope with the tragedy, the article concluded, was sticking together and giving the victims, their families, relatives and friends unconditioned sympathy and condolences. Blaming part of it on youngsters’ behaviours is the exact opposite of such a solution, the article said.
Daily updates of local and international events by Tulsathit Taptim