[1/3] Police officers stand guard near the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 2, 2022.
REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters) - As South Korea mourns the deaths of more than 150 people in a Halloween party crush, many people - even those not directly involved - are dealing with trauma and a search for answers that has at times blamed the victims, a psychiatry expert says.
"It spread very quickly through news media and social media, leaving people directly and indirectly affected, and even those who aren't affected may feel distressed and frustrated, pretty much casting a sense of dread over the entire society," he said.
The government sent a mobile clinic run by the National Center for Disaster Trauma to Itaewon, offering free counselling.
"For example, when we had COVID-19 cases the first time in South Korea, there were a lot of blaming reactions like 'why did you go there?