Bereaved families attend the 49th-day memorial service held at Jogye Temple in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, Friday. (Yonhap)

Heavy-hearted tears fell down the faces of some 150 bereaved families of the Itaewon tragedy Friday morning as a 49th-day memorial service was given for the souls of the deceased at Jogye Temple in Jongno-gu, central Seoul.

Under Buddhist belief, the deceased's spirit leaves the human world after lingering 49 days after death.

At the main Daeungjeon Hall within the compound of Jogye Temple, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, South Koreas largest Buddhism sect, expressed condolences to those who lost their friends and families in the tragedy.

The ritual was held in the form of Chundo, a traditional after-death ceremony praying for the dead spirits to find peace and rest in the afterlife, and guiding the souls to be reborn in a better place or direct them to goodness. A total of 65 portraits of the deceased and 77 tables of honors were displayed at the ceremony.

Ven. Jinwoo, the president of the Jogye Order, and Ven. Jihyun, head monk of Jogyesa Temple, were also present during the event, along with 100 other monks and Buddhists.

The members of the Korean Council of Religious Leaders, including the Jogye Order, the Christian Council of Korea and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea, also planned to hold a memorial ceremony for the victims Friday afternoon.

At 6 p.m., a civic memorial service will be held by the bereaved family council and the Itaewon Disaster Citizens Countermeasures Meeting on the street in front of Itaewon Station Line No. 6. The organizer of the event warned of possible congestion, asking those willing to participate to use Exit No. 3 of Noksapyeong Station Line No. 6.

Main opposition Democratic Party of Koreas leader Lee Jae-myung and Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, will visit the civic memorial service to express their condolences.

Democratic Party leader Lee urged President Yoon Suk-yeol to personally visit the memorial altar and make an official apology in front of the portraits of the deceased and tables of honors.

Instead the presidential office sent Yoon's senior secretary on social affairs to the memorial service saying that their heart of consolation remains unwavering.

Finding out the truth and taking appropriate measures is the way to be there for victims and the bereaved families," the office said at a daily afternoon briefing.

Seouls Itaewon neighborhood became the location of a deadly disaster on the eve of Oct. 30, as people crammed into a narrow, sloping alley, which led to a crowd crushing effect killing 158 people.

On Wednesday, police reported a high school survivor of the tragedy had been found dead in an apparent suicide.

By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)

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Bereaved families bid farewell to Itaewon victims on 49th day after deaths - The Korea Herald