In October of 2022, a tragic incident occurred in Itaewon during Halloween festivities, resulting in disaster. It has been just over one year since that incident, and the first anniversary of the Itaewon disaster was conducted on October 29. To prevent a recurrence of the tragedy this year, the government has been closely monitoring densely populated areas in the Seoul region to prevent a similar occurrence. However, there are differing opinions and assessments regarding the effectiveness of this response.
The 10.29 Itaewon Disaster
On October 29, 2022, a tragedy occurred in the vicinity of 173-7 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (just 50 meters to the left of the Hamilton Hotel). A large crowd had gathered, eventually leading to a crowd crush. In the crowd a person fell, and as others followed, a chain reaction of people falling and piling up on top of each other resulted in a stampede, causing a significant loss of life as people were unable to escape. This disaster led to a staggering 159 fatalities and 196 injured. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the causes were attributed to overcrowding, the phenomenon of crowd fluidity[1], and inadequate safety management and control. The shortage of police personnel to control the crowd in Itaewon on that day was a contributing factor. The road conditions in the area were congested, and it took over 40 minutes for the arrival of ambulances and emergency responders to manage the disaster situation.
Given the extensive damage and numerous casualties, there was a strong demand from the public to identify the causes of the tragedy and thoroughly investigate the agencies that failed to respond adequately. In response to this, the special investigation unit of the police conducted search and seizure operations at eight locations, including the Seoul Police Agency, Yongsan-gu Office, and Yongsan Police Station. The trauma extended not only to the victims and their families but also to the merchants in the Itaewon area who assisted in the rescue. The entire nation was deeply affected by this incident. Given that the disaster occurred in the heart of Seoul, the fear and impact of the event were even more shocking. In a similar manner to the ‘Yellow Ribbon’ movement that emerged after the Sewol ferry disaster[2], there was a movement to remember the victims of this Itaewon tragedy. People displayed black ribbons (now purple ribbons) as a sign of mourning and remembrance for the victims.
Directions of the Government’s Response This Year
Legal Action
In October, the Mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hoon, led to take measures to ensure that a similar incident would not happen again in commemoration of the first anniversary of the 10.29 Itaewon disaster. He added, "In December of last year, Seoul enacted the 'Multiple Crowded Event Safety Management Regulation' to establish safety management plans in collaboration with autonomous districts, fire departments, and the police, even for events without designated organizers, to ensure the safety of citizens." Furthermore, in September, the ruling party introduced an amendment to the Framework Act on The Management of Disasters and Safety, which contains provisions for local government heads to formulate safety management plans for events, like Halloween and local festivals, without designated organizers. This amendment passed through the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee in October. Not only in Seoul but also nationwide, disaster control centers have been operating, and local governments and fire authorities have developed measures to maintain order and ensure safety during Halloween and similar events. As a result, the number of city and county-level 24-hour disaster control centers, which was only 49 at the beginning of this year, has now increased to 108, representing a 2.2-fold increase.
Administrative Action
One of the proposed measures during this Halloween season is the installation of artificial intelligence (AI) CCTV. AI CCTV is designed to assess crowd density in real-time and transmit the situation to relevant authorities so that they can respond immediately in the case of any dangerous situations. Yongsan-gu designated areas such as Itaewon-ro, World Food Culture Street, and Quy Nhon Street as key management zones. They also set up a joint on-site situation room at Noksapyeong Station Square for monitoring. Moreover, the area was divided in advance using fences to prevent overcrowding and ensure systematic movement control. This intensive control extended beyond Itaewon, with Seoul's Mapo-gu implementing similar measures in the Hongdae area. Hongdae also operated a joint on-site situation room and deployed police to maintain order and control. This system established to facilitate rapid response and transportation in case of emergency medical situations. Additionally, the highly congested Hongik University Station Exit 9, which is usually bustling, had its access controlled under police supervision to prevent potential risks associated with the crowd. However, it seems that the trauma from last year has not entirely dissipated, as there was a sharp decrease in the number of people actively participating in Halloween parties and celebrations, and marketing initiatives related to Halloween have also decreased.
Ambivalent Evaluation on the Government's Countermeasures
Positive Evaluation
By the thorough response of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and overall lack of interest in Halloween this year, the weekend before Halloween ended without much noise. Citizens who saw the joint situation room and police personnel set up on the street kept order as instructed by the police. The streets of Hongdae equipped with a crowd management system, and 600 Mapo-gu officials, 300 firefighters, 200 public officials, and 1,750 police officers were on duty until 3 a.m. The fact that personnel were deployed and responded in advance in anticipation of crowds gathering in Hongdae instead of Itaewon, demonstrated that noticeable efforts were made to prevent the recurrence of last year’s disaster.
Opinion that The Government’s Countermeasure Is Contradictory
On the other hand, many expressed regrets for not implementing systems like this last Halloween when it was entirely feasible. The current system is viewed as a lamentable assessment of the post-event attitude following the occurrence of the large-scale loss of life. Before the implementation of this order and control, there was a controversy over the “eliminate Halloween” festival banner posted by Mapo-gu and Yongsan-gu offices. In the two areas that are expected to be crowded this Halloween, banners written ‘Halloween Day festivals are prohibited to prevent crowd accident!’ were posted. The phrase has the nuance that last year's tragedy was caused by the fault of individuals participating in Halloween festivities, and it has been criticized for blaming individuals rather than the government’s lack of adequate preparation. According to an interview with a bereaved family on CBS after the 10.29 Itaewon disaster who said that "it was not a matter of people going out to play," and criticized the remarks that blamed the victims for the tragedy. In addition, merchants who run restaurants near Hongdae told Kyunghyang Shinmun, "If the government worries about accidents, they can use guidelines such as 'keep a safe distance,' but it doesn't make sense to ban festivals," adding, "From a merchant's point of view, I am worried that banning festivals will reduce the number of customers." Because of this criticism, Mapo District removed the banner within 15 hours of its installation.
In addition, the government’s attitude, which seems indifferent to the voices of the victims who have not yet healed, throws doubt on whether they are sincerely treating last year’s disaster. While many of the bereaved families are still living in pain, those in charge have tended to avoid communicating and meeting with the families by turning the 10.29 Itaewon incident into a political issue. President Yoon Suk-yeol did not participate in the first anniversary of the Itaewon disaster as he said the memorial event was a "political rally." The Mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hoon participated in the event, but in April, the Seoul Metropolitan Government imposed 29 million won in fines compensation for the Itaewon disaster incense booth erected in Seoul Plaza by the bereaved families. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said that the bereaved families did not accept their proposal or offer alternatives and that they could not find any agreement. Afterward, Seoul City Officials claimed that they did not voluntarily demolish the Itaewon Disaster Joint Memorial, which was built in Seoul Plaza, and were occupying the square without permission, so imposed compensation. It has been pointed out again that Seoul City’s attitude was an action that did not respect the bereaved and contradicted the statement that the tragedy was the fault of the local government and the state.
A year has passed since the shocking and sorrowful 10.29 Itaewon disaster, which deeply affected the entire nation. The government is making policies and administrative efforts to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. However, the rejection of the Halloween celebration altogether also indicates that Korea has not fully recovered from its collective trauma. It is crucial for us to remember the innocent victims and reflect on the reasons behind this tragedy. What we can do as members of Korea is to not forget the victims and the tragedy and help remind others to ensure this does not happen again.