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Gov't to bolster crowd control measures ahead of Halloween

Published: 22 Oct. 2024, 15:01

KIM MIN-YOUNG
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Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks on Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in Sejong. [YONHAP]

The government announced Tuesday that it will strengthen safety management for crowd control ahead of Halloween on Oct. 31.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported its plans to safely manage the large crowds expected to gather at events ahead of and on Halloween weekend at a Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at the government complex in Sejong.

The plan is a response to the crowd crush of Oct. 29, 2022, which claimed the lives of 159 people who had gathered in central Seoul's Itaewon nightlife area in Yongsan District for Halloween celebrations.

The ministry will implement an eight-day special safety management period from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 in preparation for Halloween.

During this period, 27 areas nationwide where large crowds gather annually for Halloween will be closely monitored. The ministry plans to dispatch on-site situation managers to 12 areas where especially dense crowds are expected, including Seoul's Itaewon, Hongdae, Myeong-dong, Seongsu-dong and near Konkuk University, Seomyeon in Busan, Dongseong-ro in Daegu and Jungang-ro in Daejeon.

The on-site situation managers — in cooperation with local governments, police, fire departments and other relevant agencies — will check preparations, including the deployment of safety personnel and the emergency response system. The managers will continuously manage the situation until the crowd disperses safely.

Bereaved relatives of the Itaewon crowd crush cry in front of the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday after the court found the ex-chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency not guilty. [NEWS1]

The ministry amended the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety to strengthen crowd control measures, designating crowd-related accidents as a type of social disaster last January. In July, specific ministries were assigned disaster management responsibilities at venues like performance halls and large-scale retail stores.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism oversees performance halls and sports facilities, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy manages large retail stores, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is in charge of traditional markets and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport oversees airports and railways.

The Safety Ministry will support each disaster management agency in establishing a crowd accident safety system for their respective facilities by January next year and assist in preparing a standard crisis management manual.

The manual will include a management plan, from surveys on current conditions to safety planning, pre-inspections, situation monitoring and prompt disaster responses.

"As regional festivals are being held nationwide in the fall season, we will ensure that local governments, police, fire departments and other relevant agencies work together to thoroughly manage safety so that the public can enjoy these festivals safely,” said Safety Minister Lee Sang-min.

"As we mark the second anniversary of the Itaewon disaster, the government once again affirms its solemn responsibility for public safety and will spare no effort to build a safe Korea," said Han.

Han also said a law to compensate victims and bereaved families of the Itaewon crowd crush and prevent future accidents was passed with bipartisan agreement. The Prime Minister said the government would "fully support" organizations and committees related to the tragedy so that they could "carry out their activities without any hindrances."

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]