Tags: Seoul, South Korea, Itaewon, Halloween
On Saturday October 29, 2022 in the Itaewon district of Seoul, South Korea more than 150 people died in the deadliest known crowd disaster in South Korean history. An estimate of 100,000 people were present in Itaewon that Saturday night celebrating Halloween.Â
Itaewon is a trendy neighborhood for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s to enjoy international cuisine and nightlife.Â
Halloween celebrations in Itaewon before the stampede took place on Saturday night. (Anthony Wallace/AFP / Getty Images)
Traditionally, Halloween is not celebrated in South Korea; however, businesses in Itaewon cater to the huge population of foreigners living there and the foreigners there have celebrated Halloween for the past seven years, making Itaewon the go to place to celebrate Korean Halloween.Â
The pandemic caused the nightlife in Itaewon to take a hit in the amount of people visiting the neighborhood. With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, it encouraged more people to celebrate Halloween in Itaewon this year.
A police officer stands on patrol at the scene of the deadly stampede in Itaewon. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
The stampede happened because many people attempted to gather in a narrow alley filled with bars and restaurants. Reports say, some people in the crowd could hear “Don’t push” but other people heard “Hey, push! Push!”. Witnesses described people falling on one another, suffering severe breathing difficulties, and falling unconscious.Â
Shoes are seen at a temporary lost and found center in Seoul. They were among a huge collection of items found following the deadly crowd surge in Itaewon. (Lee Jin-man/AP)
Most of the victims were women and many of them were missing shoes. Officials say 156 people were confirmed dead, 151 were being treated for injuries, 26 of the dead were foreign nationals, including five Iranians, four Chinese, four Russians, two Americans, and two Japanese citizens.
Family and friends of the victims are searching for answers while in mourning. On Sunday October 30, 2022, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a weeklong national mourning period.Â
During a Cabinet council meeting on Tuesday November 1, 2022, President Yoon Suk Yeol acknowledged that South Korea lacks research on crowd management.
The National Police Agency said a total of 137 police officers were dispatched to Itaewon on Saturday night, but they were tasked with curbing crimes, not crowd control. Hong Ki-hyun, chief of the agency’s Public Order Management Bureau, admitted the police failed to predict mass casualties.Â