Gov't to provide support payments to families of Itaewon crowd crush victims

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Gov't to provide support payments to families of Itaewon crowd crush victims

Published: 08 Jun. 2025, 15:44 Updated: 08 Jun. 2025, 19:04

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Officials investigating the Oct. 29, 2022 Itaewon crowd crush inspect roads near the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, Yongsan District, on April 28. [NEWS1]

The Korean government will provide living support payments to the families of those affected by the Itaewon crowd crush.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced Sunday that payment applications will open on Monday.

The payments will be provided to members of households that include victims or the deceased of the Oct. 29, 2022, Itaewon crowd crush — including parents, children, siblings and other direct household members.

If a deceased victim had no parents or children, the payment may be given to other blood relatives within the fourth degree of kinship, meaning that cousins can receive the payment. In cases where a person was not part of the same household but is deemed to require support, they may be included as a household member upon approval by the Oct. 29 Itaewon Crowd Crush Victim Relief Review Committee.

Applications to begin

The term “victim” refers to those directly impacted by the tragedy, including the deceased, survivors, the injured and those suffering from psychological trauma. “Deceased” refers to victims who lost their lives in the incident.

The amount of support varies depending on the number of people in the victim’s household. For a single-person household, victims will receive 730,500 won ($542) while the families of the deceased will receive 1.46 million won.

Larger households will receive more. Two-person households with a victim will receive 1.2 million won, while three-person households will receive 1.54 million won. For households with seven or more members, victims will receive up to 2.78 million won.

A citizen reads memorial messages at the ″Star House,″ a commemorative space for the Oct. 29, 2022 Itaewon crowd crush tragedy, on Nov. 10. 2024. [YONHAP]

The same scale applies to the deceased. A deceased victim from a two-person household will qualify for 2.41 million won, while a three-person household will receive 3.08 million won, with the money going to the bereaved families. The maximum amount — 5.55 million won — will be provided to households of seven or more people.

If the recipient of the support payment is a recipient of the Basic Livelihood Security Program, the funds will not be counted as income for one year from the date of payment — meaning that recipients are still eligible for the Basic Livelihood Security Program payments in addition to the support payment.

Registration available at cities, counties and districts

The payments are intended to help stabilize the livelihoods of those affected by the Itaewon crowd crush. They are authorized under Article 57 of the Special Act on Protection of Rights of Sufferers, Truth-finding and Prevention of Recurrence of the Oct. 29 Itaewon Tragedy, as well as Article 22 of the enforcement decree of the same act.

Applicants may submit the form in person at their local city, county or district office corresponding to the victim’s registered address, or send it by mail or fax. Foreign nationals without a registered address in Korea may apply at the district office that has jurisdiction over the embassy of their home country.

Bereaved family members and attendees unveil a plaque at the opening ceremony of the ″Star House,″ a commemorative space for the Oct. 29, 2022 Itaewon crowd crush tragedy at a building in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Nov. 10, 2024. [YONHAP]

To facilitate the support payments, the Oct. 29 Itaewon Crowd Crush Victim Relief Review Committee held a meeting on May 27 to finalize criteria for calculating and distributing the funds.

If an applicant disagrees with the payment decision, they may file an appeal at the relevant district office within 30 days of receiving notification.

“The government hopes these support payments help victims and bereaved families struggling in the aftermath of the Itaewon tragedy regain a sense of normalcy,” said Jwa Se-jun, chair of the Oct. 29 Itaewon Crowd Crush Victim Relief Review Committee.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]