Jointly organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the association of victims' families and civic groups supporting them, the event is scheduled to begin at 10:29 a.m. on Thursday in remembrance of the deadly disaster in which about 160 people were killed in the crowd crush, most of them young adult, who gathered to celebrate Halloween, an American holiday that has grown popular among young people in South Korea.
Thursday's event is expected to bring together more than 1,000 people including government officials, political leaders, lawmakers, diplomats from the countries of foreign victims, civic group members and other attendees.
The event's program will include a moment of silence, memorial speeches, a video honoring the victims and their families including those of foreign victims and other performances.
Meanwhile, President Lee Jae Myung offered condolences to the victims and their families during a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, two days ahead of the anniversary, saying the government must take the lead in ensuring public safety.
"The government should do everything it can to protect people's lives and ensure that they can live safely, so that such tragedies never happen again," Lee said, pointing out that South Korea still has a long way to go before people can feel safe in their daily lives, despite past tragedies such as the 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry.
Lee also called for preparations to ensure the smooth implementation of a relevant law, which aims to strengthen protections for victims of safety-related accidents and disasters and is scheduled to take effect on Dec. 3.
He urged government agencies to strengthen safety measures against a wide range of threats from natural disasters and industrial accidents to other emergencies and violent crimes.
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