Seoul to step up crowd safety measures ahead of Halloween

Authorities will deploy thousands of personnel and conduct inspections ahead of Halloween gatherings, four years after the Itaewon crowd crush.

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Halloween revelers keep to one side of a median divider on the World Food Street in Itaewon, Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Oct. 31, 2025. Police and the district office are stepping up crowd management in the area ahead of this year’s Halloween.

Authorities plan to strengthen crowd safety measures in Seoul ahead of Halloween festivities later this month, a senior police official said Monday.

Ko Beom-seok, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, shared the plans ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Oct. 29 Halloween crowd crush in the nightlife district of Itaewon, which left 159 people dead.

Ko told reporters in a briefing that police are working with district offices on safety inspections ahead of celebrations for Halloween, which falls on Oct. 31.

The Yongsan District Office, which administers the Itaewon area, said it plans to deploy about 2,550 personnel for crowd management in Itaewon from Friday to Nov. 1, when large crowds are expected to gather for Halloween festivities.

The 2022 tragedy happened during Halloween celebrations in Itaewon after crowds surged into a narrow alley in the district.


Yonhap

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