From October 27 to November 1, over 100,000 people visited Hongdae at peak times, yet "No Crowd-Related Accidents"
The district deployed about 2,200 personnel, including police, firefighters, and civilian volunteers, for crowd safety management
Touching stories and support conveyed in response to Mapo-gu's efforts... Public-private cooperation shines in pursuit of safety
District Mayor Park Gang-su: "Leading Korea's tourism and culture, ensuring daily safety... Elevating Mapo's status"
In preparation for the crowd congestion during the Halloween period, Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-su) successfully concluded its five-day special safety inspection that continued until dawn on November 1.
This year, anticipating a crowd of up to 70,000 people gathering in Hongdae during Halloween, Mapo-gu urgently formed a special Halloween Situation Management TF team and worked jointly with Mapo Police Station (Chief Im Seong-sun), Mapo Fire Station (Chief Kim Yong-geun), Seoul Metro, and others to focus all efforts on crowd safety management around the Hongdae Red Road area.
The personnel deployed for crowd safety management during this period totaled 2,196, including 484 Mapo-gu officials, 1,300 police officers, 262 firefighters, and 150 volunteers.
The safety management personnel conducted patrols in the Hongdae area from evening until dawn, removing and educating about 107 illegal advertisements and 335 obstructions such as electric kickboards and parasols that posed walking hazards. To prevent fall accidents, they carried out 10 emergency road facility repairs and 4 electrical facility safety measures.
Moreover, the district implemented a special waste collection plan during Halloween, deploying two collection mobile teams and 16 environmental officers to Hongdae to immediately collect trash that posed walking hazards and maintain street cleanliness.
A Mapo-gu official on cleaning patrol said, “Patrolling the Hongdae Red Road area frequently, my pedometer recorded 20,000 steps. Although I even got blisters on my feet, I feel rewarded that many people could enjoy the Hongdae Red Road during Halloween without any major accidents.”
According to Seoul’s real-time urban data aggregation, around 8 p.m. on the 28th, approximately 94,000 people gathered in Hongdae, indicating that the district’s preemptive safety measures were timely and appropriate.
The AI crowd management system introduced and installed by Mapo-gu at six locations along the Hongdae Red Road also played a significant role. On the early morning of the 29th, two warning alarms were triggered in the club district, prompting Mapo-gu and the police to swiftly secure additional pedestrian pathways.
Meanwhile, warm stories were shared during this Halloween safety management period.
On the 29th, a Chinese tourist in her twenties came to the Mapo-gu Volunteer Crime Prevention Unit in tears after losing her wallet. The unit connected her to report the loss at the Hongik Police Substation and later gave her transportation money so she could return to her accommodation late at night. She sent a message expressing deep gratitude for feeling warmth in a foreign land on her way back.
“It’s cold, but you’re working hard. It’s nothing much, but please eat this while it’s warm.” The Hongdae Merchants Association also showed support by handing out freshly steamed sweet potatoes and eggs to the workers who protected Hongdae’s safety from evening until dawn over the five days.
The district stated that from October 27 to November 1, although countless crowds visited Hongdae, the event concluded without a single crowd-related accident, thanks to the efforts of Mapo-gu for a safe Hongdae combined with the support and understanding of residents and local merchants.
Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “With the belief that it is better to be excessive than insufficient when it comes to safety, we did our best during the Halloween period. I deeply thank the Mapo-gu staff, Mapo Police Station, Mapo Fire Station, Seoul Metro, Mapo-gu Volunteer Crime Prevention Unit, Tourism Environment Security Officers, and local merchants who cooperated for a safe Mapo.”
He added, “Going forward, Mapo-gu will continue to pay even more meticulous attention and effort to enhance its status as a self-governing district representing Korea’s culture and tourism and as a reliable district where everyday safety is guaranteed.”
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