(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout; ADDS photos)
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- The government and bereaved families held their first-ever joint commemoration ceremony at Seoul Plaza on Saturday evening, just days before the third anniversary of the deadly Itaewon crowd crush.
The event was co-hosted by an association representing the victims' families, a civic group on the disaster and the Seoul metropolitan government, according to the interior ministry.
The tragic crowd crush happened during Halloween festivities in a narrow alley of the nightlife neighborhood of Itaewon in Seoul's central ward of Yongsan on Oct. 29, 2022, killing 159 people, including foreigners.
The event's start time, 6:34 p.m., marked the moment the first emergency call was made from the scene of the accident, but a delayed response led to the high death toll.
Some 4,000 people, including Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, government officials, politicians, religious leaders, civic activists and citizens, attended the event to mourn the deaths and console their families. Among them were around 40 bereaved family members from 12 countries who had lost their loved ones in the crowd crush, invited by the government.
In his memorial speech, Kim acknowledged the lingering grief of the victims' families.
"We are still not free from the cries of the bereaved families who demand truth and accountability," he said.
He reaffirmed the government's fundamental role, saying, "A nation's first reason for being is to safeguard the lives and safety of its people, and in this regard, we still have much to do."
Kim attributed the tragedy to "poor preparation and a complete failure in the official response," and pledged that the government would continue to take all necessary measures to hold those responsible to account.
Ahead of the evening event, four religious groups held a joint prayer session at the site of the disaster in Itaewon, followed by a mass march to Seoul Plaza.
The main event began with the joint calling of the victims' names, followed by a moment of silence, a commemorative speech by the prime minister and a concert in their memory.
On the third anniversary next Wednesday, the government will hold a separate mourning event at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, to be attended by government representatives and bereaved family members, and featuring a one-minute siren across the city.