President Lee: "No More Unjust Sacrifices from State Absence and Neglect"

[Anchor]

A memorial ceremony marking the 4th anniversary of the October 29 Itaewon disaster was held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Attending the memorial service for the first time as president, President Lee Jae-myung stated in his memorial address that he would ensure citizens never again suffer unjust sacrifices due to the absence or neglect of the state.

Reporter Ha Jeongyeon reports.

[Reporter]

At 10:29 a.m., symbolizing October 29 when the Itaewon disaster occurred, the 4th anniversary memorial ceremony for the October 29 Itaewon disaster was held with around 1,000 people in attendance, including President Lee Jae-myung and the First Lady, victims of other disasters, and citizens.

President Lee Jae-myung said in his memorial address that if the state had fulfilled its responsibilities, that day in Itaewon would have remained an ordinary day, adding that he will ensure such sacrifices do not happen again.

[President Lee Jae-myung: "We will make sure that citizens will never again suffer unjust sacrifices due to the absence and neglect of the state."]

Emphasizing that uncovering the full truth is the true starting point of complete healing, he stressed that the government will clarify the truth and ensure measures are taken to prevent recurrence.

[President Lee Jae-myung: "It is the government's firm policy that the Republic of Korea after October 29 must be different from the Republic of Korea before October 29."]

This was the first time a president attended an Itaewon disaster memorial ceremony. Last year, during the first official government-level memorial event, he sent a video memorial message.

President Lee expressed gratitude and condolences to the bereaved families, saying they had continued a lonely struggle while the state failed to fulfill its duties, while the families called for continued government-level attention.

[Lee Jeong-min / Steering Committee Chair of the Association of Families of October 29 Itaewon Disaster Victims: "Because transparently finding out why precious lives could not be fully rescued at that place on that day is the only way to wipe away the tears of blood of the bereaved families."]

In September, the government revised the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster, extending the term of the special investigation committee until September next year.

(Video by Jeong Sang-bo | Video Editing by Lee Seung-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.