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A merchant in his 30s who took part in rescue efforts during the Itaewon disaster and has since suffered severe trauma has been missing for eight days. Authorities have not located him despite ongoing searches.
Seoul’s Guro Police Station said on the 28th that it received a missing-person report on the 25th and opened an investigation. The missing man, 37-year-old Baek, left his home on the 20th and has not been in contact with family or friends. Police say his last known location was near the underground shopping area by Goryeo Academytel in Ahyeon-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. Investigators are analyzing nearby CCTV footage and conducting neighborhood inquiries.
Baek was near the Hamilton Hotel during the Itaewon disaster on Oct. 29, 2022. Witnesses say he helped carry collapsed victims out of the crowd and assisted with rescue efforts. Since then, he has reportedly struggled with persistent trauma and depressive symptoms.
He also faced mounting financial pressure in addition to psychological shock. After the disaster, business activity in the Itaewon area contracted sharply, and Baek’s shop ran sustained losses. He had to manage both the costs of trauma treatment and business shortfalls, and acquaintances say he had been describing severe depression up until he went missing.
The crush that occurred on the night of Oct. 29, 2022, in Itaewon, Yongsan District, claimed 159 lives. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, people in their 20s accounted for the largest share of fatalities, with 106 deaths, followed by those in their 30s with 30 and teenagers with 13. The incident—triggered when tens of thousands packed into narrow alleys ahead of Halloween—remains the deadliest crowd crush in South Korea’s history.
At the time, civilians like Baek carried fallen victims and performed CPR. Many people at the scene stepped in to help without their names ever being recorded.
Now, three years and four months after the tragedy, Baek’s family and friends continue their own search separate from the police. Authorities have not yet located him and are expanding the search area.
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