THE city of Brisbane and its people grieve with you.

That was the message from Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to the family of murdered Korean student Eunji Ban at a memorial to honour her life this afternoon.

Friends, members of Brisbane's Korean community and shocked Queenslanders gathered in their hundreds at Albert St, the scene where the 22-year-old died.

"It's a reminder if how precious life is and how fragile it can be," Cr Quirk said.

"Eunji had saved up for a year to be here to live and learn. To Eunji's family I simply say that the city of Brisbane and it's people grieve with you.

"Every student that comes to this city from another land is a son or daughter of our city."

Korean Society of Queensland president Richard Lee was emotional as he tried to address the crowd and was comforted by Cr Quirk.

He said he had met with Ms Ban's father and uncle, along with Premier Campbell Newman.

"I really feel for Mr Ban's family and how they might go through life now," he said.

media_camera eunjiceremony

The ceremony was held in Wickham Park in the Brisbane CBD, off Albert Street and Turbot Street, behind the Brisbane Dental Hospital.

The event was announced by the Brisbane City Council yesterday on behalf of the Korean Society Queensland.

A statement released yesterday said:

The Afternoon of Remembrance will take place at Wickham Park in the Brisbane CBD, located off Albert Street and Turbot Street, directly behind the Brisbane Dental Hospital.

Donations will also be raised at the end of service, the proceeds of which will be used for the victim's funeral and her family.

What: Afternoon of Remembrance for Eunji Ban

Where: Wickham Park, Brisbane CBD

When: 3pm, Wednesday 27 November 2013

EARLIER, a 19-year-old man appeared in court charged with Ms Ban's murder.

The Korean national was killed as she walked to her cleaning job in central Brisbane on Sunday.

Alex Reuben McEwan, of Spring Hill, remained quiet with his back to the public gallery in brisbane Magistrates Court during a three-minute hearing just minutes before noon on Tuesday.

Magistrate Jacqui Payne ordered McEwan - dressed in a brown prison issue tracksuit top and shorts - be held in custody for further mention until December 16.

She also granted a police application for a forensic order to take DNA and or samples from McEwan for testing.

RELATED: Identity of CBD murder victim revealed

Ms Ban's devastated parents have arrived in Brisbane this morning to claim her body - just weeks after farewelling their daughter for an extended stay in Australia.

Queensland Homicide Victims' Support Group manager Ross Thompson said the family is very distraught.

"It's a nightmare, it really is, and it's one that will never go away."

He said the support group would soon offer the family their services but understood it would take time.

Premier Campbell Newman will seek a meeting with the family to express his condolences.

"It's a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to her mum and dad," he said.

"I will be seeking to meet with them personally to express my condolences on behalf of the people of this state.''

media_camera Eunji Ban had arrived in Australia less than two months ago on an exchange program.

Floral tributes have continued to flow this morning with numerous people - both friend of Ms Ban's and complete strangers - stopping at Wickham Park where Ms Ban's battered boy was found to place tributes.

media_camera A woman mourns at the spot where Eunji Ban's body was found . Picture: Tim Marsden

Those stopping say they didn't know the girl but felt for her family.

One Australian-Korean man, Brandon Lee, added a teddy bear, a candle and photo of Ms Ban at the memorial this morning.

"Her family had a serious decision (to make) to let her go," he said.

"She was just a kid."

Hildegarde Lee left flowers at the site.

"I just wanted her parents to know someone cared," she said.

Ms Ban's death has left other Korean women feeling scared.

Seunghyeon Son, 31, lives at the same apartments where the murder victim lived.

media_camera Brandon Lee made a framed photo of Eunji Ban and played a song on his guitar for her near the place her body was found . Picture: Tim Marsden

She told The Courier-Mail she regularly walked along Albert St and said it lacked lighting and CCTV cameras.

"I'm Korean, I'm from Busan. I'm really shocked," Ms Son, who has been in Brisbane for five months, said.

"I don't want to go outside in the night. To walk from the city is dangerous at night time. I like these apartments but maybe I'll have to move."

One woman, who lives in the same apartment building where Ms Ban had been staying, says her own family and friends are worried about her.

"I've got 100 messages from other friends (saying) that I have to worry about everything, that I have to be careful,'' the woman told ABC radio.

Earlier, Police Commissioner Ian Stewart - who led a wave of sympathy for the family on Monday - urged women to take care on the streets.

"I'd ask people to take extra precautions, stick to the main thoroughfares … don't go into darkened areas unnecessarily and if possible walk with friends," Mr Stewart said.

Ms Ban left home before first light about 4am on Sunday and just 20 minutes later her battered body was discovered by a passer-by.

media_camera Eunji Ban was walking to work around 4am Sunday when she was brutally murdered.

"It's a tragedy that we've had something like this happen in Brisbane,'' Mr Stewart said.

"This type of crime is rare. Brisbane is generally a very safe city but we will always ask our residents and our visitors to be responsible for their personal safety first.''

Ms Ban arrived in Brisbane on a youth exchange program less than two months ago and was living in an apartment at the Roma St Parklands.

She left home and walked to Albert St where she was viciously bashed and dragged across the road and up a set of stairs to Wickham Park and dumped. She had suffered head injuries but there was no evidence she was sexually assaulted, police said.

By day the area is a busy thoroughfare, but at night it is a popular homeless hangout and a makeshift camp site is set up in bushes next to the footpath

Korean Consul Gang Won Jo yesterday said the victim's devastated parents were due to arrive in Brisbane today.

"It's very terrible news, they are shocked. It's horrible," he said.

"We are just watching the Queensland police investigation. We believe Queensland police will do their best to arrest the offender."

media_camera Police investigate the murder of Eunji Ban at Wickham Park. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Consul Jo also warned Queensland's 12,500-strong South Korean community to "take more careful attention" when going out.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said Brisbane had a reputation as a safe city where visitors usually felt safe walking around "at any time of the day".

"It is one of the great attributes of our cities in Australia, they are generally very safe places to be," he said.

"People do look out for each other and people do come to the assistance of people in trouble. I think this is a very tragic and unusual incident. It's really upsetting for the whole city."

But the murder has led to calls for the city to be blanketed with security cameras.

The Queensland Homicide Victims' Support Group said more cameras could have prevented the crime or helped to catch the killer.

"If I knew there was a CCTV on every corner I wouldn't have any issue and would feel safer walking down any street,'' general manager Ross Thompson said. "If you are not doing anything wrong I don't see the hassle.''

There are CCTV cameras throughout the popular parklands but Detective Acting Inspector Tom Armitt said there were none around the area where she was attacked.

"We're canvassing all areas at the moment, all throughout the Brisbane CBD, to collect as much CCTV as we can. That area has no specific CCTV in the area,'' Insp Armitt said.

Insp Armitt said police wanted to speak to a shirtless man seen in the area at the time of the attack.

"We believe this man may be able to assist us with our inquiries,'' he said.

"It's obviously a brutal crime and we'll be determined to solve it as quickly as possible.''

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the council had 64 CitySafe CCTV cameras monitored around the clock.

Premier Campbell Newman said council had sought to create a CCTV system "that covers the normal places that people go''.

"It's up to the council about making a judgment about the areas they cover but clearly they can't cover every nook and cranny in Brisbane,'' Mr Newman said.

"But it is a very terrible and sad tragedy. I certainly wish the police every success in tracking down the perpetrator of this terrible crime."

media_camera Forensic police at the murder scene. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Reported by: David Murray, Thomas Chamberlin, Rob Kidd, Britt Vonow