As the third anniversary of the deadly crowd crush in the nightlife district of Itaewon approached, late actor Lee Ji-han, who was a victim of the disaster, also marked his third anniversary.
On Oct. 29, 2022, a large-scale crush occurred in the Itaewon area of Yongsan District, Seoul. Lee Ji-han, who had been at the scene at the time, also died.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the time, the death toll from the Itaewon crush was counted at 159. Among them, people in their 20s numbered 106, the largest group, followed by 30 people in their 30s and 13 teenagers. Coincidentally, Itaewon, which is usually crowded with a variety of foreigners ahead of Halloween, was unusually boisterous. As a result, a large-scale crush occurred and many young people died, causing deep sorrow.
Regarding this, 935 Entertainment, the agency of Han Yoo-jin at the time, released an official statement saying, "We are deeply sorrowful to deliver such sad news. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have fallen into deep grief because of this sudden tragedy and to everyone who loved and cherished actor Lee Ji-han and shares in our sorrow," and added, "Actor Lee Ji-han was a kind and warm friend to everyone. The image of Lee Ji-han, who was endlessly bright and pure, always smiling widely and greeting people bravely, is vivid in our minds, and it is impossible to believe that we can no longer see him."
Born in 1998, Lee Ji-han appeared in the web drama "Another Day with Nam Hyun" and the drama "The Season of Kkokdu," among others. In particular, he was still filming the MBC drama "The Season of Kkokdu" before the Itaewon crush occurred. "The Season of Kkokdu" was noted as Lee Ji-han's first terrestrial broadcast appearance. However, filming was suspended due to the sudden tragedy and resumed after Lee Ji-han's funeral.
Actor Im Soo-hyang, who appeared in "The Season of Kkokdu" with him, said, "Go to a good place and be happier there. Yesterday was supposed to be a day when we spent the whole day filming with you, but after hearing the news we gathered at your wake and all of us sat there for a long time unable to say anything, just stunned. I know so well how hard you worked and how much you wanted to do well, so taking you away when you were just starting out felt so cruel, and all I felt was sorrow, sadness and anguish."
In July, the deceased's mother left a letter remembering Lee Ji-han. Lee Ji-han's mother added, "I am still frozen at that beautiful day when you were 24, just before you left. You were on a shoot in a distant country and were on your way back. It just takes a little time. Ji-han also wanted to come home quickly but couldn't. Every hour I hypnotize myself like this and, wanting to pretend I alone do not know what the whole nation knows, I cover reality with memories, looking only at the photos I took with you," adding to the poignancy.
[Photo] Source: SNS.
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