[Report] One Month After the Itaewon Disaster...Empty Shops and Hollow Music on the Silent Streets

Sales of small businesses in the area are down more than 60% compared to before the disaster
Almost no foot traffic even during weekend peak hours

On the 27th, a notice indicating temporary closure is posted at a pub near the Itaewon disaster site in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Hyewon, Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] "Since the tragedy, almost no customers have been using the hall. However, we are grateful that some people deliberately come to support the commercial district by ordering takeout or delivery."

On the 27th, Mr. A, the owner of a restaurant in the World Food Street, the site of the Itaewon tragedy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, expressed his feelings like this. At 6 p.m., the weekend dinner time, the street was filled only with silence.

A pub adjacent to the alley where the tragedy occurred displayed a notice saying, "We respectfully pray for the deceased. Temporarily closed during the mourning period," creating a gloomy atmosphere.

Some restaurants on this street have resumed business after the tragedy, but no customers were seen even during the weekend evening hours. Inside the empty restaurants, only the sound of music echoed hollowly, and only the restaurant owners and staff were guarding the empty shops, staring blankly at the street.

Employee B, who was guarding a cocktail bar, said, "It feels like we have gone back to the time of the 2020 ‘Itaewon club COVID-19 cluster infection.’ Even then, regular customers stopped coming, and now, although it is the year-end when people usually gather, it is so quiet that it feels very disheartening."

Although some shops have reopened about a month after the tragedy, more than 10 out of about 40 shops located on the first floor of this street are still closed. Some are undergoing interior repairs. A nearby bar announced on social media (SNS) that it would be closed until the 14th of next month for internal reorganization.

On the 27th, the Itaewon World Food Street in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is deserted with no pedestrian traffic, creating a sense of silence. Photo by Moon Hyewon, Asia Economy

According to Seoul City, the sales of small business owners in the Itaewon area have decreased by up to 60% as of the second week of November compared to before the tragedy (fourth week of October). The floating population has also decreased by about 30%.

In fact, there were few people around Itaewon Station besides the World Food Street. The only floating population consisted of mourners who went back and forth between the alley next to the Hamilton Hotel, the site of the tragedy, and Exit 1 of Itaewon Station, offering chrysanthemums or candles and writing condolence messages on paper to post, as well as police officers guarding the tragedy site. Walls everywhere were densely covered with condolence messages left by citizens, and Exit 1 of Itaewon Station was filled with chrysanthemums, photos, dolls, soju bottles and cups, and snacks.

At least some customers were occasionally seen at hamburger shops or kebab specialty stores located on the opposite street a little away from the tragedy site. Employee B of a burger franchise said, "Mainly foreign customers living in Itaewon come here."