Hongdae Draws 110,000, Returning to Pre-Disaster Levels
Stricter Right-Side Walking and Controls Prevent Major Accidents
The epicenter of Halloween has shifted since the tragedy three years ago. This year, Halloween crowds in Seoul avoided Itaewon and flocked to Hongdae, with the number exceeding 110,000, effectively returning to pre-disaster levels. Meanwhile, the Itaewon area spent a relatively calm night due to access restrictions and non-stop subway operations.
On the 31st, Halloween Day, a citizen is walking in costume on the Itaewon World Food Culture Street in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On the night of October 31, the streets of Hongdae in Mapo-gu were packed with young people in a variety of costumes, leaving barely any space to walk. According to Mapo-gu Office, approximately 110,000 people visited the Hongdae Special Tourist Zone between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., indicating a recovery to the levels seen before the Itaewon disaster in 2022. Electronic signboards at the scene frequently displayed red warnings reading "Very Crowded," while police officers and safety personnel installed fences and guided people to keep to the right. However, there were several dangerous moments when costumed citizens stopped to take photos, causing the crowd behind them to surge forward temporarily.
Seoul Metropolitan Police mobile patrol officers are conducting preventive patrols against crowding ahead of Halloween Day in the Itaewon World Food Culture Street area in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, inspecting the temporary central dividers installed on the streets. Photo by Yonhap News
"Please keep moving and do not stop!"
Police officers and district office staff repeatedly urged people to keep moving using loudspeakers, but bottlenecks occurred in some sections. Lines waiting to enter clubs occupied both sides of the sidewalks, further narrowing the walking space. Fortunately, as rain began to fall around midnight, the crowds gradually dispersed, alleviating the congestion.
The Itaewon area in Yongsan-gu showed a similar scene. The alley behind the Hamilton Hotel, the site of the disaster, was completely closed off from 10:20 p.m., and Itaewon Station on Subway Line 6 operated as a non-stop station in both directions from 11 p.m. As of 10:30 p.m., about 11,000 people had gathered around Itaewon Station. More than 450 personnel, including 250 police officers, were deployed to manage the site and guide people to keep to the right, while major roads displayed signs directing people to detour around crowded areas.
On the 31st, Halloween Day, citizens visiting the Itaewon World Food Culture Street in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, are walking along the central divider. Photo by Yonhap News
After midnight, the rain caused the crowds to disperse quickly. There was one citizen who injured their ankle near Itaewon Station, but they returned home after receiving emergency treatment.
The government designated the period from October 24 to November 2 as a "Special Halloween Crowd Management Period," focusing on 33 locations nationwide, including Hongdae, Itaewon, and Gangnam in Seoul. Each district office deployed 119 rescue vehicles and mobile situation rooms on site, while police cracked down on costume props that could be mistaken for weapons.
Minister of the Interior and Safety, Yoon Ho-joong, urged citizens to "immediately leave crowded situations and move to a safe space," asking for voluntary order and cooperation from the public.
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