Tragedy hits newlywed couple from Sri Lanka

Things had finally been looking up for 26-year-old Jinath. He had married his wife, Fatima, in July. It was a love match, and they had struggled for eight years to win the approval of their parents. Finally, after Jinath came to Korea, both families accepted the marriage, and they were expecting a child. Jinath died in the Itaewon crowd disaster on Saturday. Now Fatima, who had been planning to study in Korea, has only one request: “Please send my husband home.” “She doesn&rsqu

Nov. 1, 2022

Rescue workers initially fail to locate 2 miners trapped in zinc mine

Search and rescue operations for two miners trapped in a zinc mine in southeastern South Korea for six days are making little headway, officials said Tuesday. The two miners, both surnamed Park, have been isolated in a vertical shaft about 190 meters underground at the zinc mine in the North Gyeongsang Province county of Bonghwa, 244 km southeast of Seoul, since a burial accident last Wednesday. Rescue workers have been attempting to find whether the miners are alive by drilling a hole to their

Nov. 1, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases rebound to over 50,000 amid 'twindemic' worries

South Korea's new coronavirus cases rebounded to over 50,000 on Tuesday amid concerns over a possible outbreak of a "twindemic" of the pandemic and seasonal influenza this winter. The country reported 58,379 new COVID-19 infections, including 68 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,615,667, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload fell below 20,000 on Monday after staying below 40,000 the previous four days. Last week, the government said

Nov. 1, 2022

2.9 magnitude aftershock reported following Goesan quake

An aftershock of magnitude 2.9 struck South Korea's central county of Goesan on Tuesday following a 4.1 magnitude quake last week, authorities said. No damage or casualties have been reported so far, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The aftershock occurred in the area northeast of Goesan in North Chungcheong Province at 2:07 a.m. Tuesday, with an estimated depth of 14 kilometers, they said. A total of 21 aftershocks have occurred since Saturday'

Nov. 1, 2022

Itaewon crush death toll rises to 155

One more fatality was confirmed from the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul, raising the death toll from the tragedy to 155, officials said Monday. A 24-year-old Korean woman was declared dead as of 9 p.m., according to officials at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. A total of 30 remain in serious condition, while 122 others sustained minor injuries, they said. (Yonhap)

Nov. 1, 2022

[Video] Itaewon streets after the deadly crowd crush

#prayforitaewon #korea #itaewon

Oct. 31, 2022

Bereaved family of Japanese teenage victim of Itaewon tragedy identify body

The family of a Japanese teenager who died during the Saturday crowd crush in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, arrived in South Korea on Monday and identified the victim's body. Accompanied by officials from the Foreign Ministry, the family arrived at the funeral hall of the Seongnam Central Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on Monday afternoon. They began the procedure of transporting the victim’s body back to Japan. Officials at the hospital said the family wished to carry out the

Oct. 31, 2022

Festivities across Korea cancelled in aftermath of Itaewon tragedy

Numerous festivals and events across the country have been cancelled or put on hold after Saturday's deadly crowd surge in Itaewon, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul that claimed 154 lives as of Monday. Seoul has designated a period of mourning for Yongsan-gu that will last until Dec. 31, cancelling all events that the city government had been slated to host. In case of festivals sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, officials will request the hosts to downsize the events. The 17th Busan Firew

Oct. 31, 2022

Halloween crowd surge left nearby hospitals overwhelmed

The crowd surge in Itaewon on Saturday quickly swamped hospitals in the vicinity, with victims filling their emergency rooms and morgues. Around Saturday midnight, fire department authorities said that there were more than 50 suspected cardiac arrest patients. Soon the number jumped to hundreds. Saturday night is typically busiest for ERs, according to ER doctors, especially for hospitals near neighborhoods known for their nightlife. Nearby Soonchunhyang University Hospital saw the most patie

Oct. 31, 2022

Shaken and grieving, expat communities seek ways to help victims

The news of a horrific crowd crush in Seoul’s foreigner-friendly neighborhood of Itaewon has left foreign communities here in shock and grief. Many interviewed by The Korea Herald spoke of receiving calls from worried families and friends back home, while others said they were trying to be of any help to the victims who were killed or injured in this foreign land. “My family members were all shocked when they first heard about the incident. I called them and said I’m doing okay

Oct. 31, 2022

Four factors behind the tragic Itaewon crowd surge

South Koreans are searching for answers after 154 lives perished Saturday in what was meant to be a fun Halloween night out in Itaewon. As the authorities, the media and the public scramble to figure out what went wrong, here are some of the factors that may have been behind the deadly crowd surge in Seoul’s busy nightlife district. 1. Halloween: an event without an organizing body Halloween, though originated in the West, is a popular celebration among young people in South Korea. Kno

Oct. 31, 2022

Stronger control was necessary, said the witnesses recounting the accident

Around the moment of the accident, many foreign tourists who witnessed the scene commented the main street should have been closed to help create extra space. “I’ve managed to escape the ally (where the accident took place) just before it happened,” said Nofit, a 29-year-old tourist. “It almost took 15 minutes to walk about three to four meters.” However, Nofit said she saw police or guards guiding the crowd inside the subway station after the disaster, but not that

Oct. 31, 2022

Amid 26 Foreigners dead in Itaewon, follow-up measures continue

With at least 26 foreigners found to have died in the Halloween disaster in Itaewon, the government has notified each victim's respective country and continues to implement various follow-up measures for the bereaved families, but there are still many people who have not received enough guidance. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said as of 9 p.m. Sunday, the number of foreign deaths caused by the Itaewon disaster was counted as 26 in 14 different countries. There were five from Iran, four fr

Oct. 31, 2022

Foreign Minister seeks equal support for foreign victims of Itaewon disaster

Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin on Monday said that the government is reviewing ways to provide foreign nationals killed or injured in the Halloween disaster with the same support as Korean nationals. “(The ministry) is reviewing ways to allow support the same as (measures provided to) Korean nationals to the foreigners injured and killed,” Park said at the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee meeting. According to Park, the government will see if

Oct. 31, 2022

[Photo news] Nation in mourning

In shock and grief, South Koreans are mourning the losses of innocent young lives at Saturday night’s deadly crowd surge in Itaewon. At least 154 people -- most of them in their 20s -- died in the country’s worst disaster in years. The narrow alleyway where the fatal stampede took place is still blocked for police investigation. But not far from the disaster site, flowers, messages and beverages have been laid out on the ground in memory of the deceased. Mourning altars have been set

Oct. 31, 2022

Unfiltered images of tragedy risk adding to victims' pain

Photographs and video footage of the Itaewon disaster have circulated online via social media, fanning concerns of further damage to the victims as well as possible trauma for the public. Soon after the crowd surge at Itaewon began claiming the lives of people late Saturday, photographs and video footage of the incident went viral on social media, especially as a large number of victims and observers at the scene were in the target demographics for heavy social media users. The online circulati

Oct. 31, 2022

[Newsmaker] Why Itaewon disaster was more fatal for women than men

Of the 154 fatalities from last weekend’s Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, nearly two thirds were women. As of Monday, a total of 98 women are confirmed to have been killed in the deadly human stampede, compared to 56 men. The significant gender gap has led many to wonder why the accident proved to be much more fatal to women than men. The gender ratio of the crowd at the time of the deadly crush remains unclear, but some medical experts say those with smaller body frames and less physica

Oct. 31, 2022

11 teens, 26 foreigners and 98 women: A look at the 154 lives lost in Itaewon tragedy

The 154 victims in the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon on Saturday night included 11 teenagers, as young as middle school aged, 26 foreigners and 98 women. The largest number of the dead -- 103 -- were in their 20s. Here is a look at the lives lost in South Korea’s worst disaster since the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking. 11 teens Of the 11 teen victims, six were attending school, according to The Ministry of Education on Monday. Five were high-schoolers and one was a middle school student, all

Oct. 31, 2022

1 middle schooler, 5 high school students killed in Itaewon crowd crush: education ministry

One middle schooler and five high school students were among the 154 victims killed in the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon district, the education ministry said Monday. The tragedy happened Saturday night in a narrow back alley densely packed with Halloween partygoers and killed 154 people, mostly in their 20s, including 26 foreigners. (Yonhap)

Oct. 31, 2022

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall below 20,000 amid 'twindemic' worries

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 20,000 on Monday due to fewer tests, but there are lingering concerns over a possible outbreak of a "twindemic" of the pandemic and seasonal influenza this winter. The country reported 18,510 new COVID-19 infections, including 56 from overseas, bringing the total to 25,557,309, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The daily caseload stayed below 40,000 in the past four days through Sunday before falling below 20,000 o

Oct. 31, 2022