[On the Scene] Hongdae Draws 90,000, Itaewon Quiet... Citizens Feel "Enhanced Safety" Too

Halloween Eve Crowds Down 12% in Hongdae, 33% in Itaewon

Narrow Hongdae Alleys Remain Congested... Emergency Response

Itaewon Calm... "Seeing Police Makes Me Feel Safe"

"More Crowds Expected on Halloween"... Police on Alert

At around 9 p.m. on the 30th, crowds packed the Hongdae busking zone in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Although police directed pedestrians to keep to the right, the lack of safety barriers has left traffic moving in conflicting directions. Reporter Lee Jiye.

"Keep to the right! You have to walk on the right!"

At around 9 p.m. on Friday, October 30, the streets around central Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, were packed with citizens and visitors wearing colorful costumes for Halloween. Police officers repeatedly blew their whistles and directed pedestrians to keep right, using the safety fences set up down the middle of the street as a divider. Firefighters also monitored the crowds.

Citizens had been moving in an orderly fashion in both directions along the fences, but began to jostle one another when they reached the "Busking Zone," where the fences ended. People stopped to take commemorative photos with costumed visitors, bumping shoulders with those behind them. Even with police officers blowing their whistles, crowds stopping to take photos and pedestrians became mixed together, repeatedly disrupting the flow of right-side pedestrian traffic.

Congestion also arose in the narrow alleys packed with major clubs. Queues of people waiting to enter clubs stretched along both sides of the street, narrowing the space for pedestrians to just enough room for three or four people to squeeze through. In a dangerous situation, citizens stepped down onto the roadway to get around, and car horns blared from various spots. Only after police hurriedly put up safety fences between the road and sidewalk were pedestrian routes separated.

Police officers install safety barriers between the roadway and sidewalk on Hongdae Club Street in Mapo-gu, Seoul, at around 10 p.m. on the 30th. Lee Jiye, reporter.

At the same time, Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was noticeably busier with visitors in everyday clothes than those in elaborate costumes. People enjoyed the Halloween atmosphere by taking commemorative photos and eating at various spots, but the streets were generally quiet.

Moon Dongmin, 40, who visited Itaewon with his family, including his wife and three children, was struck by how much the streets had changed since his last visit. "I hadn't been here for a while after the tragedy, but I came out this time," he said. "There are far fewer visitors, and the atmosphere is calmer. It's good that safety is being managed thoroughly, but it feels like there's less fun in celebrating Halloween than there used to be." Kim, 49, who was dressed as a samurai, recalled the pain of the Itaewon tragedy four years ago. "The tragic loss of young, precious lives must never happen again," he said, adding, "I feel reassured seeing so many police officers here today."

Hongdae Crowds Reach 92,000... Visitors Generally Feel "Safe"

According to police and other officials, the crowd in the Hongdae Tourist Zone was estimated at about 92,000 as of 10 p.m. on October 30. That was about 12.4% lower than the 105,000 recorded at the same time on the same day of the week, Friday, during last year's Halloween period. The crowd around Itaewon Station was counted at 16,000 as of 9 p.m., down 33.3% from 24,000 last year.

Citizens interviewed at the scene generally expressed relief at the enhanced safety measures. Baek Seonghyeon, 32, whom we met in Hongdae, said, "The fences and the security and firefighting personnel are noticeable, so it feels like more attention is being paid to safety than before." Matt, 22, and Max, 26, American exchange students dressed as Mario, were enjoying the calm atmosphere in Itaewon. "I know about the tragedy four years ago, and I've heard that many safety measures have been put in place since then," Max said. "After walking around Itaewon for about two hours, I felt safe and comfortable."

On the afternoon of the 30th, pedestrians follow the keep-right instruction on World Food Culture Street in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Oh Jieun.

More Than 600 Police Deployed in Hongdae and Itaewon... "Full Effort on Safety Management"

The Seoul Mapo Police Station has deployed a total of 385 personnel around Hongik University Station, including 220 police officers, 55 safety management staff from Mapo-gu Office, and 110 firefighters, to manage safety amid the crowds. Choi Chungyeol, head of the Crime Prevention and Response Division at the Seoul Mapo Police Station, said, "The crowds today appear to be somewhat smaller than at the same time last year, but tomorrow is Halloween itself and also a Saturday, so we expect even larger crowds. We will remain vigilant until the very end and make every effort to manage safety."

The Seoul Yongsan Police Station will deploy 370 police officers around Itaewon Station to manage the crowds jointly with fire authorities and other relevant agencies. Ten police tactical unit officers and an armored vehicle will be stationed there, and two bomb-detection dogs will also be deployed. Seven criminal investigation teams and mobile patrol personnel will be sent to the scene to strengthen efforts to prevent violent crime. Ahn Daeseon, head of the Security Division at the Seoul Yongsan Police Station, said, "We are strengthening visible patrols to prevent violent crime by deploying seven criminal investigation teams and mobile patrol personnel. The police tactical unit is also conducting preventive patrols, and we are prepared to respond immediately by deploying personnel if a report is received or if we identify a risk ourselves."

Yongsan-gu has also installed six smart closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras along a roughly 300-meter stretch of World Food Culture Street and begun monitoring crowd levels in real time. The district will classify crowd density in each area into four levels - smooth pedestrian flow, pedestrian caution, crowded, and very crowded - and adjust pedestrian directions and access to Itaewon Station entrances according to the level. At around 11 p.m. on October 30, police, fire authorities, and other relevant agencies held a joint meeting attended by officials including the head of the Seoul Yongsan Police Station to review crowd conditions at the scene and safety management measures.

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