(LEAD) Yoon announces national mourning period over Itaewon stampede

(ATTN: UPDATES with Yoon's remarks; CHANGES headline; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday announced a period of national mourning over a deadly stampede that killed at least 149 people during Halloween celebrations in Seoul the previous day.

Yoon addressed the nation live from the presidential office a day after a crowd surge in a narrow alley in Itaewon crushed scores of young revelers, many in their 20s.

"It's truly horrific," Yoon said, saying Saturday's "tragedy and disaster should never have happened."

"As president, who is responsible for the people's lives and safety, my heart is heavy and I struggle to cope with my grief," he said. "The government will designate the period from today until the accident is brought under control as a period of national mourning and will place top priority in administrative affairs in recovery and follow-up measures."

Yoon expressed his condolences over the deaths and wished a speedy recovery for the injured, say the government will support funeral preparations and fully mobilize emergency medical services to treat patients, including by assigning public servants individually to those requiring assistance.

"The most important thing is to determine the cause of the accident and prevent similar accidents," he said. "We will thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and make fundamental improvements so that similar accidents do not happen again in the future."

hague@yna.co.kr
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