Seoul Jung-gu to Deploy 912 Personnel for 'Special Safety Measures for Large Crowds' in Myeongdong Over Halloween Weekend

Seoul's Jung-gu District, headed by Mayor Kim Gil-seong, announced on the 29th that it will implement special safety measures for large crowds in the Myeongdong area over Halloween weekend, from the 30th to November 1. After first activating its crowd management system from the 23rd to the 25th, the district plans to mobilize all available resources to respond over the upcoming weekend, which includes Halloween.

Field personnel are patrolling major crowded areas around Myeongdong. Photo provided by Jung-gu.

The district will set up an on-site comprehensive situation room on the fifth floor of M Plaza in Myeongdong to share real-time updates with relevant agencies and deploy personnel according to crowd density. The situation room will operate from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the 30th and from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the 31st and November 1. A cumulative total of 912 personnel will be deployed: 54 from the district office, 698 police officers, 60 firefighters, and 100 safety management staff.

Thirty-eight intelligent CCTV cameras installed at 18 locations will monitor the streets in real time, while electronic signs at 10 key locations will provide crowding information and detour routes. If signs of danger are detected, the district will immediately notify relevant agencies and broadcast announcements through CCTV speakers to disperse the crowds.

Pedestrian space has also been expanded. Street vendors at the intersection by Noon Square and the intersection in front of Myeongdong Arts Theater, where bottlenecks are a concern, have been reduced in number or relocated, and illegal obstructions and advertisements are being regularly removed. The return of shared electric scooters will be prohibited in the Myeongdong area, and Ttareungi bike rental stations will be temporarily closed.

If crowd density rises to the "caution" level or higher (3-4 people per square meter), the Myeongdong 10-gil section (from Exit 8 of Myeongdong Station toward Olive Young) and the Namdaemun-ro section (from Noon Square to the Central Post Office) will be converted to one-way traffic. Vehicle access will also be restricted in front of Sunshine Building and at Exit 8 of Myeongdong Station, among other locations. The route from Euljiro 1-ga Station toward the Royal Hotel, Myeongdong Cathedral, and Samil-daero will be kept clear for emergency vehicles, and ambulances will be stationed in front of the Royal Hotel and Hana Financial Group headquarters.

On the 22nd, the district completed a joint on-site inspection with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Namdaemun Police Station, and Jungbu Fire Station.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong said, "There is no such thing as overreacting when it comes to safety," and urged visitors to cooperate fully with the instructions of on-site personnel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.