[1 Year Since Itaewon Tragedy] ① Reckless 'Subway Squeezing' Decreases... "Everyday Safety Awareness Has Changed"

A Slightly Changed Daily Life of Citizens
Safety Management Inspection Including Crowd Dispersion and Control
Acceleration of the Amendment to the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management
2,600 Cases of Illegal Building Violations Detected

At 10:15 p.m. on October 29 last year, a crowd gathered in the steep and narrow alleys of Itaewon for Halloween, resulting in 159 deaths due to people falling and being crushed. The incident, named the 'Itaewon Disaster,' shocked the entire nation. Investigations to determine responsibility followed, and voices demanding institutional improvements and stronger government responses, calling it a 'third-world type disaster,' surged. Now, nearly a year later, whenever various events or festivals are held, the government and local governments prioritize 'crowd management' above all else. In the National Assembly, a legislative amendment mandating the establishment of safety management plans is underway, and local governments are also strengthening crackdowns and safety management on illegal buildings identified as causes that worsened the disaster at the time.

On the 16th, as the intensive memorial period began ahead of the first anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy, foreigners are seen looking at the portraits of the victims at the altar in front of Seoul City Hall Plaza. Photo by Huh Younghan younghan@

◆Crowd Management Becomes a 'Top Priority' = On the 'Information Disclosure Portal,' where official documents created by the government and local governments can be accessed, a total of 90 official documents with the word 'crowd' in the title were found from October 29 last year to the 23rd of this year. This contrasts with the period from October 1, 2021, to October 28, 2022, before the Itaewon disaster, when not a single document was found. Since not all public institution documents are registered on the Information Disclosure Portal, it is estimated that there are even more official documents created for crowd management measures.

Most of these documents contain measures for managing crowd congestion at local festivals and events. Among them, 12 were plans for the formation and operation of 'Crowd Accident Prevention Teams' by local governments. These teams conduct pre-inspections of major festival sites expected to have dense crowds to eliminate risk factors in advance and maintain order on-site. For example, a document released by the Gangseo District Office in Seoul on the 10th revealed a plan to hold nine local events in the district during October and November, with the deputy district mayor leading efforts to analyze site conditions and secure safety starting two days before each event. There were also six documents related to plans for establishing an intelligent crowd management system using CCTV.

In January this year, the government announced the 'Comprehensive Plan for Overhauling the National Safety System,' which includes disaster management improvements. At that time, the government classified crowd accidents as 'social disasters' alongside fires and collapses, and mandated that local governments establish safety management plans for festivals and events expected to have dense crowds, regardless of whether there is an organizer. The plan also included the establishment of crowd management systems utilizing IT technology. Since then, legislative amendments to strengthen crowd management have been actively pursued. On the 20th of last month, the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee integrated and adjusted 22 proposed amendments to the 'Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act' and passed them to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The bill requires local government heads to establish safety management plans when there is no organizer or the organizer is unclear for local festivals involving large crowds, and mandates disaster safety management education conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. A ministry official said, “We are doing our best in safety management through measures such as countermeasure meetings and on-site inspections until the law is amended. We are prepared to revise enforcement ordinances and manuals as soon as the law passes in the National Assembly.”

Citizens are hurrying to work at Sindorim Station on Seoul Subway Line 1.
Photo by Jo Yongjun

◆Changes at Event Venues and in Daily Life = On the 7th, the Seoul International Fireworks Festival held in Yeouido, Seoul, attracted an estimated one million spectators according to the organizers. It was the first large-scale outdoor event held since the Itaewon disaster. The event deployed 6,000 personnel for safety management, including police and organizers, a 60% increase compared to last year's fireworks festival. Volunteers and safety personnel were stationed approximately every 10 meters along the Han River Park, and measures to manage congestion, such as non-stop passing of Yeouinaru Station on Subway Line 5, which had been implemented in previous years, were also enforced. However, what stood out most was the citizens' own efforts to ensure safety. A frontline police officer deployed at the scene said, “Whenever the crowd surged rapidly, citizens followed the guidance by shouting 'Let's move slowly' or stopping to maintain distance from the person in front. Many citizens moved cautiously.” Park Jaeseon (36), who visited the event with family, said, “Although it was very crowded, we moved slowly without pushing for safety. Some paths were blocked, so we took longer routes, but since it was for safety, we had no major complaints.”

Awareness in daily life, not just at large events, has also changed. The subway is a representative example. Before the Itaewon disaster, it was common to push or squeeze into packed trains at all costs. Although rush hour congestion remains, disorderly situations are less frequent, according to a Seoul Metro official. This is because safety awareness and sensitivity to crush accidents have increased in everyday life. Office worker Lee Seonju (32) said, “In the past, even if the subway was packed on the way home, I tried to get on quickly because I wanted to get home fast, but not anymore. I am now sensitive because I worry about accidents if swept up in a crowd.” Seoul Metro is promoting measures such as increasing train frequency, deploying safety personnel, and reinforcing safety facilities to reduce subway congestion. Professor Gu Jeongwoo of the Department of Sociology at Sungkyunkwan University said, “The Itaewon disaster served as a wake-up call for the public to be more aware of safety. Given that overcrowding issues in metropolitan subways are difficult to resolve realistically, this has led to a change in public safety awareness.”

On the 7th, soccer fans are cheering on the street at Hongdae Red Road in Mapo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

◆Strengthened Crackdown on Illegal Buildings That Threaten Safety = Crackdowns on illegal buildings, identified as one of the causes that worsened the damage in the Itaewon disaster, have also been strengthened. It was pointed out that the narrow alley was further constricted by illegally erected partition walls around the Hamilton Hotel main building at the time of the disaster, causing a bottleneck. The hotel representative Mr. Lee and the hotel operating corporation Hamilton Tourism are on trial since March for violations of the Building Act and Road Traffic Act. At the sentencing hearing held last month, the prosecution requested a one-year prison sentence for Mr. Lee and a fine of 30 million won for Hamilton Tourism.

Seoul City conducted special inspections of violating buildings from November last year to May this year. Seventy-five areas including Sinchon and Hongdae were inspected by district offices, uncovering 2,611 violations of illegal construction and unauthorized storage. Among these, 1,728 cases were corrected. Yongsan District inspected a total of 773 buildings from the time of the disaster to the present, identifying 97 illegal buildings, of which 42 have been restored to their original state. Each district in Seoul conducts quarterly regular inspections in addition to special inspections.

However, some do not comply with correction orders. Seoul City reported that 883 cases remained uncorrected after special inspections, leading to administrative actions such as imposing fines for non-compliance. Yongsan District Office also imposed a total of 170 million won in fines on 44 cases that were not voluntarily corrected. While local governments can carry out administrative enforcement to restore original conditions, it is not easy due to issues such as private property rights. A local government official in Seoul said, “We wait for voluntary correction, but if not complied with, the responsible public officials decide to report the case to investigative agencies.”

There is also a strong call for strict responses since such illegal buildings can threaten public safety. Professor Kim Donyun of the Department of Architecture at Sungkyunkwan University said, “In cases like the Hamilton Hotel that cause serious safety concerns, strong corrective measures are necessary. A definite restoration period should be given, and if not corrected, forced execution and other legal actions should be taken.”