Japanese bereaved family from Itaewon disaster: "I wish I could see my daughter smiling one more time"

“No matter how many years have passed, I still can’t accept the fact that I don’t have a daughter.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Byeong-gyu = “I want to see my daughter smile one more time.”

Mr. A (53), the father of Kozuchi Ahn (18 at the time of death), a Japanese who died in the Itaewon disaster four years ago, met with Japanese media and other reporters in Seoul on the 28th and said, "I want to meet my daughter even now. I want to hear her voice."

According to the Tokyo Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun on the 29th, Mr. Kozuchi suffered an accident while visiting Itaewon while studying abroad in Korea on October 29, four years ago.

Mr. A said, “I thought that the sadness might gradually ease over time, but even after several years, I cannot accept the fact that I do not have a daughter.”

He continued, “Even though four years have passed, our daughter is never a thing of the past for us. I think that continuing to talk about her will be proof that she has definitely lived in this world.”

He also appealed, “I hope the same thing doesn’t happen again,” and “Please never forget that there are families like us who have lost someone precious, and that each person who passed away had an irreplaceable life.”

Among the victims of the Itaewon disaster were 26 foreigners from 14 countries, of which two were Japanese, including Mr. Kozuchi and international student Mei Tomigawa (26 at the time of death).

The bereaved families of foreign victims, including Mr. A, received information on the progress of the investigation from the Special Investigation Committee to uncover the truth and prevent recurrence of the October 29 Itaewon disaster on the 27th and attended a press conference the day before.

Regarding the interim investigation results announced by the Special Investigation Committee that found there were problems with the overall government response at the time of the disaster, Mr. A expressed hope that "we will prevent similar incidents from happening not only in Korea but also around the world."