A Buddhist ceremony was held on Friday in memory of the people who died in the Itaewon crowd crush, which claimed 158 lives.

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism held the ceremony at the Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul to mark the 49th day since the tragedy, in accordance with the common Buddhist tradition of mourning for 49 days.

Some 150 bereaved family members were joined by the temple's abbot, Jihyun, and hundreds of followers at the ceremony to pray for the deceased to be reborn in a better world.

The mother of actor Lee Ji-han, who died in the crush, read a letter she had written asking people to remember the sons and daughters who passed away and to pray that they are reborn in the safest country in the world so that they are happy and without worries.

At 6 p.m. Friday, a memorial service organized by the bereaved families’ association and civic groups will be held in front of Itaewon Subway Station, near the site of the tragedy.