It was Halloween Day... but Itaewon and Hongdae were engulfed in silence

People Mourning Past 10 PM
Most Shops in Itaewon Area Close
Calm Atmosphere Around Hongik University
Lines Form in Front of Joint Memorial Altar...Some Crying

On the 31st of last month, about 100 people gathered at the memorial space in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station in Seoul. Even after 10 p.m., they visited the memorial space to pay tribute to the victims.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] On the 31st of last month, in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station in Seoul, more than 100 people had gathered even though it was past 10 p.m. The reason people gathered late at night was due to the recent tragedy. People mourned the victims of the disaster in their own ways?placing chrysanthemums, staring blankly, or sitting down and crying. However, just a few steps away from Exit 1, there was no one in the Itaewon area. It was Halloween Day, but Itaewon was engulfed in silence.

Despite Halloween Day arriving after the Itaewon tragedy on the 29th of last month, which left 155 dead and 152 injured, entertainment districts were quiet. People headed to joint memorial altars and other mourning sites to pay their respects to the victims.

The alley behind the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, visited on the 31st of last month. Shops were closed due to memorials, and people did not visit the Itaewon area. / Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Most shops located in the Itaewon area were closed the day before. The Itaewon Tourism Special Zone Council had designated a mourning period until the day before and decided to suspend operations at about 100 businesses, but other shops also did not open. The streets were dark as even the lights were turned off. Halloween decorations that had overflowed the streets just two days prior were hard to find.

Instead, people visited the memorial space in front of Exit 1 of Itaewon Station. The sidewalk was so densely covered with white chrysanthemums that it was difficult for people to walk. Kim (35), who came to the memorial site, said, "On the day of the tragedy, I performed CPR on two people but could not save them. Because of that guilt, I tried not to come back to Itaewon. But I just couldn’t erase that scene from my mind, so I came here. My heart is still heavy."

On the 31st of last month, a joint memorial altar for the Itaewon disaster was set up around Hongik University. People lined up to pay their respects to the victims of the tragedy.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

Other entertainment districts showed no Halloween Day atmosphere at all. The entertainment district near Hongik University had more people than Itaewon the day before. However, local merchants said fewer people came compared to previous Halloween Days. Jo (50), a convenience store owner near Hongik University, said, "The number of people who came around Hongik University this Halloween Day was only about a quarter compared to last weekend. It’s about the same crowd as a usual Monday. There’s no Halloween Day boom."

With fewer people, the Hongik University area had a calm atmosphere. It was hard to find shops decorated with pumpkins or ghosts for Halloween Day. People did not wear costumes at all. Because it was a mourning period, street performances (busking), which were commonly seen around Hongik University, were not held, so no one was standing on the street enjoying music.

Instead, people gathered at the joint memorial altar set up by Mapo District Office near Hongik University. Even after 9 p.m., people continued to come to console the victims of this tragedy. Some wiped away tears while waiting in line. Two Mapo District Office officials and six volunteers guided visitors one by one. Jang (34), who came to pay respects, said, "These are people in their 20s who had to endure the three years of COVID-19 when they should have been enjoying their youth. It’s so heartbreaking that they suffered such a tragedy, so I came to the memorial altar."