‘One-stop’ support center for kin of Itaewon crush victims eyed

At least 156 people, mostly in their 20s, were killed in a deadly crowd surge during Halloween celebrations in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon on Saturday night. (File Photo: Stephanie Nakagawa/Unsplash)

SEOUL — President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed his aides Thursday to set up a “one-stop” support center where families of victims and others affected by the Halloween crowd crush can continue to receive medical and other assistance after the national mourning period ends.

Yoon also told his aides to focus their efforts on providing trauma recovery and psychotherapy services to the public in the wake of the tragedy, according to deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung.

“The one-stop integrated support center, which will be created under the prime minister’s office jointly by relevant ministries, will provide all necessary services from a single place, ranging from funeral arrangements for the victims to treatment for the injured, payment of relief money and psychological therapy,” Lee said during a press briefing.

He also said the National Center for Disaster and Trauma will expand its services in line with Yoon’s instructions not only to victims’ families, the injured, witnesses, and emergency response workers who were at the scene but also to the general public suffering from psychological stress.

“President Yoon emphasized that we must accomplish a major transformation to a safe Republic of Korea that properly determines each and every element undermining our society’s overall safety and fixes them completely,” Lee said, adding that the president will hold the first meeting on reviewing national safety measures next Monday.

Yoon called the meeting with his aides after paying his fourth visit to a mourning altar for victims of the tragedy on Thursday morning.

He arrived at the altar in front of City Hall with his aides and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, and paid tribute to the victims by laying a chrysanthemum, burning incense, and bowing his head in silent prayer.

The visit was his third to the same altar and fourth overall, including a visit to a mourning altar near the site of the tragedy Tuesday.

A weeklong period of national mourning has been declared through Saturday.

At least 156 people, mostly in their 20s, were killed in a deadly crowd surge during Halloween celebrations in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon on Saturday night.