In the Itaewon disaster that occurred on the night of October 29, 157 people have died so far and a large of portion of the dead were in their 20s. As investigation into the cause of the disaster continues, it is becoming clearer that the crowd crush could have been prevented and was “absolutely avoidable” if the state acted differently. This reminds us of the Sewol ferry tragedy in 2014 that killed 304 people, most of whom were high school students. Just as they did eight years ago, the Korean government failed to ensure public safety and protect the people. It was with great sadness that we all witnessed such disasters recurring without making fundamental changes. That also made people shocked and depressed.
     Especially young people among generation Z, who are currently in their 20s, and have suffered because of these tragic accidents, have been getting news that friends of their age were injured or passed away. They connected situation of the Itaewon crowd crush to the Sewol ferry sinking which happened in their school days, at the age of 13 in my case. The two disasters have shown the incompetence and irresponsibility of authorities at the high levels of the government. Many people have expressed their distrust of the state and government authorities. Experts pointed out that the young generation “marked by the sinking of the Sewol ferry” can be traumatized by these things and collective trauma can also occur.
       They experienced a huge panic that they had never experienced before because the victims and survivors of the disasters were around the same age as my older sister. They disappeared at that very moment, so they could not show their values to the world and achieve their dreams. Not until this year could young people in their twenties enjoy a more normal life than the past two years when our daily lives had been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Itaewon tragedy, however, left indelible scars on the young generation. The government’s response to the disaster disappointed the public saying they could not take action in advance since they could not predict the number of visitors to the area. It made their scars much bigger.
   Many people among the old generation share a feeling of shame and disappointment that they could not protect the young people. Not all the administrators were at fault, but the authorities who were accountable for the rapid emergency situation did not make the appropriate decisions responding to the incident immediately. They even continue to deny their responsibility. Adults should care for children and young people and ensure their safety under any circumstances. That is why the government authorities keep trying to be better by listening to what the public said and the input of lower-ranking officials. Adults need to be good people who the young can respect and follow their ways to make a better world. Especially high-ranking government officials should be able to make a decision for the public looking ahead to the future and consistently endeavor to be a good leader of the country. A famous saying ”A nation that forgets its past has no future” is exactly right for now. Those “man-made” catastrophes must not reoccur.

By Lee Da-hyeon, Editor-in-Chief