The deaths of 158 people in the Itaewon crowd crush have left an indelible mark on the psyche of the South Korean people in many ways. Beyond the immediate tragedy of losing so many young lives, the heartbreaking stories reveal a looming mental health crisis, and tackling it must become a top priority for the Yoon administration.

However, the government initially decided to use the word “accident” instead of “disaster” or “crush” when describing the incident. The government’s position was that Itaewon is a popular tourist destination, and it didn’t want to impart “a bad reputation” by referring to