"Why didn't the government prepare?" Late actor Lee Ji Han's mother reflects on anniversary of Itaewon tragedy

Late actor Lee Ji Han's mother has written a heartfelt letter on the one-year anniversary of his passing in last year's Itaewon tragedy.

On October 29 KST, his mother wrote a lengthy letter on social media, expressing her deep grief by saying, "My dearest son Ji Han, it's Mom. They say it's been a year today since I last saw you. Even now, your face is so vivid in my memory, as if I saw you just yesterday. Two months ago, on your birthday, you didn't come, and today, it's been a year since I last saw you. You're still not with us."

She continued, "No matter how hard I try to remember, I just can't recall your clear, bright eyes, and these days, I find myself battling a different kind of despair than before. I wonder how frightening and painful it must have been for you on that Itaewon street. Mom and Dad should have rushed to Itaewon to save you. If Mom had gone that day, you might not have gone to heaven from that cold and lonely street without receiving any help. The guilt and regret for not having done so weigh on me day by day."

She went on to say, "I could have saved even one person, but why didn't I? Why didn't the government prepare for such a foreseeable tragedy? Every day, even when I close my eyes and think, I can't understand it, and my anger grows as the days pass by. I will seek to find everything I can do so that your death will not be in vain."

Meanwhile, Lee Ji Han, who gained fame through Mnet's 'Produce 101,' tragically lost his life in a large-scale accident just before Halloween last year on October 29. At the time, his agency 935 Entertainment mourned his passing and expressed condolences to the grieving family and all those who loved and cherished Lee Ji Han, saying, "Actor Lee Ji Han has become a star in the sky and left us due to a sudden, unexpected accident, and we extend deep condolences to his family in deep sorrow and gratitude to all those who love and mourn for actor Lee Ji Han."