Mother of Late Actor Lee Ji-han Shares Heartfelt Letter on 1000th Day Since Tragedy

On July 25, marking the 1000th day since the tragic Itaewon Halloween disaster, the mother of the late actor Lee Ji-han (이지한), Ms. Jo Mi-eun (조미은), shared a poignant letter addressed to her son through his social media account. In her emotional message, she expressed, 'Ji-han, today marks 1000 days since I last saw you.' She reflected on the well-meaning but painful words of comfort she receives, stating, 'When people say, 'It's been a while, so you must be okay now,' it only tightens my chest further. The grief and injustice feel like invasive cancer cells, growing more intricate and pervasive with time.'

Ms. Jo revealed that she remains stuck in the beautiful memory of her son at the age of 24, just before his untimely departure. She mentioned, 'I’m still here, pretending not to know what everyone else knows, as I convince myself that you are just away filming in a distant land.'

In her heartfelt letter, she continued, 'My dear son, I want to express these feelings to you through this letter, but I know you must have things you want to say to me too.' She concluded with a sense of despair, saying, 'I can’t write anymore; it’s becoming harder with time. I feel empty... I feel sorrow... I feel angry and heartbroken.'

The Itaewon tragedy occurred on October 29, 2022, during Halloween festivities, resulting in the loss of 159 lives. Lee Ji-han had participated in the idol audition program 'Produce 101' but did not make it to the final debut group. He later pursued his dream of acting, appearing in the web drama 'Another Day with Nam Hyun.' Tragically, he was cast in the upcoming MBC drama 'The Season of Ggotdu' and was set to make his terrestrial debut when he lost his life in the disaster.