A government ceremony was held in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square to mark the third anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush disaster of October 29, 2022, which killed 159 people and injured some 200 others.

The commemorative event, the first to be co-organized by the government and groups representing the victims' families, began at 10:29 a.m. Wednesday.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik were among around two-thousand in attendance, as many family members and citizens paid tribute by wearing a jacket in the color purple that symbolizes the tragedy.

A siren was heard for a minute-long tribute, as a means to demonstrate the nation's resolve to take responsibility as a community, and to prevent a recurrence.

In a video message, President Lee Jae Myung apologized to the families and the public as the president in charge of public lives and safety, and pledged to make right insufficiencies in emergency response, irresponsibility in evading duty, and lack of a sincere apology.

The president also promised to get to the bottom of the truth behind the tragedy.