100,000 People in Myeongdong Alone... 290,000 Gathered in Seoul's Busy Districts on Christmas Eve

Seoul City Data Record Aggregation Results
Increased by About 10% Compared to Last Year
Seoul City "Thorough Safety Management"

As of 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve, the maximum instantaneous crowd in Myeongdong was estimated at 96,000 people. The Hongdae tourist district had 90,000 visitors, Gangnam Station area 42,000, Konkuk University Station 30,000, Seongsu cafe street 28,000, and Itaewon tourist district 12,000. The total adds up to 290,000 people.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government disclosed this data, stating that it will manage safety in major areas expected to be crowded on the 25th. To prepare for emergencies, 11 additional staff members have been assigned for emergency duty. Crowd-detecting closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) are also in operation. These CCTVs automatically detect crowd density per unit area and alert to dangerous situations. Furthermore, about 1,073 safety management personnel from related organizations such as district offices, local police, fire departments, and Seoul Metro are being deployed.

According to real-time data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, on December 24 last year, Myeongdong had a maximum instantaneous crowd of 82,000 people, and 79,000 on the 25th. This year shows an increase of about 10%. Areas expected to be crowded on Christmas include Myeongdong area, Itaewon World Food Culture Street, Seongsu cafe street, Konkuk University Taste Street, Hongdae club district, Gangnam Station area, Ikseon-dong, Kyunghee University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies area, Suyu Station area, Miasageori Station area, Mokdong Station area, Balsan Station area, Jamsil tourist district area, Cheonho Station area, and others.

Choi Jin-seok, Director of the Seoul Disaster and Safety Management Office, said, "After analyzing Seoul’s real-time urban data last year, we confirmed that people were densely gathered in Myeongdong and prioritized managing the Myeongdong area when establishing this Christmas safety management plan." He added, "We will also ensure thorough safety management for year-end festivals such as the New Year's Eve bell-ringing event and sunrise and sunset viewing events."