Seoul Prepares for 2026 Halloween Events
Here is how the Seoul city government is preparing for Halloween this year:
Visitors heading to Seoul’s popular nightlife districts for Halloween this weekend may face road closures and subway trains skipping crowded stations as authorities step up crowd safety measures.
Seoul’s special safety measures run from Oct. 23, with heightened monitoring from Friday through Sunday. Authorities are monitoring crowd conditions across 14 areas using AI-equipped surveillance cameras and real-time city data.
Eight areas have been designated for priority management: the Itaewon and Hongdae tourist districts, Ikseon-dong, Myeong-dong shopping streets, Seongsu-dong’s cafe district, the restaurant district near Konkuk University, Gangnam Station and Apgujeong Rodeo Street.
Joint on-site control rooms will bring together officials from the Interior Ministry, Seoul Metropolitan Government, district offices, police and fire services.
Six additional areas are also being monitored: Wangsimni Station, Yonsei-ro in Sinchon, Balsan Station, Sillim Station, Sharosu-gil near Seoul National University Station and Nonhyeon Station.
On Saturday, authorities plan to close Itaewon-ro to vehicles and convert one lane of Hongdae’s club street into pedestrian space. Itaewon-ro may also be closed on Friday depending on crowd conditions.
The designated section of Itaewon-ro runs from the entrance to the Itaewon area to the Cheil Worldwide intersection. The measures apply to the road rather than the entire Itaewon district.
Police will use three levels of traffic control depending on crowd density. The first involves managing illegal parking and obstacles. The second introduces partial vehicle restrictions while keeping an emergency access route clear. The third blocks vehicle entry.
Other roads subject to these measures include sections of Jandari-ro in Hongdae, Yeonmujang-gil in Seongsu-dong, Myeong-dong shopping streets and Donhwamun-ro 11-gil in Ikseon-dong.
Authorities will also separate pedestrian flows in narrow alleys and manage queues outside popular venues to keep walkways clear.
You can read more at the link.
