On the night of the 31st, Seoul’s major nightlife districts were packed with young people celebrating Halloween and Friday night.
In Hongdae, over 100,000 people gathered, leading to serious concerns about overcrowding. In Itaewon, the main alley, where the 2022 tragedy occurred, was completely closed off and subways skipped the station without stopping. There were several dangerous situations in various spots, but fortunately no major accidents occurred because of the police's strict crowd control.
According to Yonhap News, approximately 110,000 people were counted in the Hongdae tourist area between 9 PM and 11 PM. This means the crowd levels have returned to what they were before the Itaewon tragedy in 2022. Large LED screens on the streets displayed a red warning message that says 'Extremely crowded.'
Fortunately, the crowding eased as rain fell late at night, and the crowd eventually decreased to 88,000 people around midnight. An official from the Mapo-gu office said, "We expected a maximum of 100,000 people, but even more showed up."
The Hongdae club street and surrounding alleys were so full of young people, there was no room to place one's feet. Although police set up fences and encouraged one-way walking, people in costumes kept stopping in many places to take photos, causing the people behind them to surge forward repeatedly.
Safety officers repeatedly shouted, "Please keep walking, don't stop" Narrow alleys experienced bottlenecks and long lines to enter the clubs stretched long on both sides of the sidewalk, making the walking paths even narrower.
The situation in Itaewon was similar. Messages like 'Extremely crowded, please detour' were shown on electronic signs there as well. On the Global Food Street, people's shoulders constantly bumped into each other, and it took 10 minutes to walk just 300 meters.
At the alley behind the Hamilton Hotel, where the Itaewon tragedy in 2022 happened, the crowd built up, and entry was blocked starting around 10:20 PM. By 10:30 PM, the crowd was estimated at about 11,000 people. From 11:00 PM, Subway Line 6 skipped Itaewon Station in both directions. A police officer on site explained, "The station was closed because the crowd was too large and there was risk of accidents."
However, no major accidents occurred until 1 AM. In Itaewon, about 455 security personnel, including 250 police officers, were deployed and actively guided people to walk on the right side. Oh Hyuncheol (48), a delivery rider who works primarily in Itaewon, said, "During the tragedy, there were no police. It was a total chaos. But tonight, veryone was guided to the right, so it feels safer." One person reported ankle pain near Itaewon Station but was treated on-site by emergency staff.
The crowds continued to decrease starting around 11:30 PM as the night rain began. In Hongdae, the line to enter the subway station stretched over 50 meters. Some young people, who appeared to be drunk, were instead excited, shouting, "We don't want to go home!" as the night came to an end.
Yeonhap News
[+1,246][-97] They're at it again.
[+1,003][-156] Completely hopeless idiots with loose screws in their heads... Honestly, I think they deserve to die.
[+969][-187] They aren't afraid because if an accident happens, people will treat with like some kind of an independence movementㅎㅎ
[+87][-9] Sigh… and if an accident happens, they'll just demand the country take responsibility.
[+72][-9] Look how quickly they swarmed there like animals in heat right after the last accident! If something happens again, I won’t pity the ones who die, but I’ll feel sorry for their parents.
[+71][-8] It’s insane… If another accident happens, they’ll just throw tantrums and blame the government again. The first accident was tragic, and I mourned, but if people still go despite knowing the risk and an accident happens, all I can do is curse.
