Tag: Itaewon

It makes sense that people would not be in a festive mood only one year after the deadly Itaewon crowd crushing tragedy:

This photo, taken Oct. 28, 2023, shows safety fences set up in an alley of Seoul’s Itaewon to prevent a possible increase in people ahead of Halloween. (Yonhap)

 South Koreans avoided boisterous Halloween celebrations Saturday, the eve of the country marking one year after the deadly crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district that claimed 159 lives, with people mourning the death of the victims.

The crowd crush, the deadliest ever in South Korea, took place in the nightlife district of Itaewon on Oct. 29, 2022, a Saturday night when about 100,000 people flocked to the area for Halloween celebrations.

Late Saturday, Seoul’s crowded entertainment areas, including Itaewon and Hongdae, were bustling with citizens and foreign tourists, just like any ordinary weekend, but there seemed to be no uproarious Halloween celebrations.

“I used to enjoy Halloween parties, but I’ve decided to spend this year’s Halloween quietly due to last year’s accident. I think it would be difficult to enjoy Halloween in Itaewon,” said Kim Hyung-seok, 28, who visited Itaewon with his girlfriend.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

That is the debate in South Korea right now in regards to whether it is too soon to celebrate Halloween one year after the horrible crushing tragedy that killed 159 people:

Controversy has arisen over whether visiting Seoul’s popular nightlife district Itaewon to celebrate Halloween this year is acceptable, as the one-year anniversary of the crowd crush that took the lives of 159 mostly young people approaches.

On Sunday, an online community post posed the question: “Is going to Itaewon this Halloween a thoughtless act?” The post presented two options — “It’s thoughtless” and “No problem at all” — soon sparking fervent discussion with hundreds of comments.

While there were several reactions of concern over enjoying Halloween in Itaewon, the general consensus leaned toward the notion that visiting Itaewon for this year’s holiday would be acceptable. However, many emphasized the importance of commemorating the Itaewon tragedy and being cautious of each other’s safety, rather than solely indulging in Halloween festivities.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

Here is the memorial that will be built in Itaewon by the one year anniversary of the crowd crush tragedy:

This image of memorials commemorating the Itaewon crowd crush and its victims is provided by groups representing bereaved families. (Yonhap)

A set of memorials will be installed in commemoration of last year’s deadly crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district on the occasion of the tragedy’s first anniversary next month, bereaved families said Friday.

The crowd crush killed 159 people, many of them women in their 20s, on a narrow, sloped back alley in the nightlife district of Itaewon on Oct. 29 as a massive crowd packed the path amid Halloween festivities. 

With the accident’s first anniversary just a month away, groups representing families of the victims said memorials, called “The Path of Memory and Safety,” will be installed along the accident site and unveiled to the public on Oct. 26. 

The installation, designed by public art creator Kwon Eun-bi, will comprise a signboard bearing the name of the memorials and three light emitting diode-equipped bulletin boards displaying a description of the crowd crush as well as mourning messages from people and photos.

In commemoration of foreign victims of the tragedy, a mourning message, “All may go well today with all of you who remember that night,” will be inscribed in 14 different languages on the boards. 

The memorials will also include two stone sign plates, each to be laid on the ground at the start and the end of the accident alley, to remind visitors of the crowd crush and its victims.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is a bit surprising that business has not fully returned back to normal yet in Itaewon when it has almost been a year since the crowd crushing tragedy. According to the article there is still a fear that Itaewon is not safe to visit after the tragedy:

A banner with the phrase “Safety Itaewon” hangs on the building of the Itaewon Special Tourism Zone Association in Itaewon, Seoul, to promote volunteer patrols, Aug. 29. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-hyun

Approximately 10 months after the tragic Halloween crowd crush that claimed 159 lives, there are, once again, visible green shoots growing in Itaewon, one of the main nightlife districts in Seoul, which had been struggling to attract visitors. 

However, the extent of the recovery, boosted by various projects to revive the district, is a contrasting story, depending on the type of business.

On a recent Friday night, the streets of Itaewon came alive with bar staff promoting their establishments in an alley behind the Hamilton Hotel, which is near the location of the deadly accident. The streets were filled with loud music and visitors, while foreign tourists could be seen walking around and capturing the lively scene on their phones.

According to a report in July, by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, sales of Itaewon shops recovered to approximately 85 percent of pre-crowd-crush levels, signaling a positive shift.

In addition, the average number of visitors to Itaewon per week in May, the latest available figure, stood at 75.6 percent compared to that of the fourth week of October last year, which was one week before the tragedy, based on telecom operator KT’s statistics.

As part of efforts to entice people back to Itaewon and revive businesses in the area, the Yongsan-gu Office introduced vouchers in March. The vouchers, used as cash, provided customers with a 20 percent discount at local businesses in the district.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

The impeachment of the Interior Minister was political since the Democratic Party controls the National Assembly. They have been trying to turn the Itaewon tragedy into President Yoon’s Sewol and so far have been unsuccessful:

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday unanimously overturned the National Assembly’s impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year’s fatal crowd crush in Itaewon, central Seoul, which claimed 159 lives.  
   
Lee, who had been suspended from his duties, was immediately reinstated after the court decision. (…..)

The court’s decision came 167 days since the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Lee, marking the first time the legislative body impeached a sitting Cabinet member.  (……)
    
In a much-anticipated ruling, all nine judges of the Constitutional Court ruled against the impeachment on Tuesday, saying that from a constitutional and legal perspective, it was hard to believe that Lee failed his constitutional duty to protect citizens by violating the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety and the State Public Officials Act.  
   
“The Itaewon tragedy did not arise or escalate due to a single cause or specific individual,” said the court. “It was the result of combined factors, such as each government agency’s failure to cultivate integrated response capabilities to large-scale disasters.”  

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but as the court ruled the Interior Minister should not be working at the police station level ensuring where police officers are deployed for crowd control. Additionally as I have always said if Itaewon Station was shut down that night, that would have prevented this disaster as well.

When I was in Itaewon recently the place did seem far less vibrant than before the accident:

An alley in Itaewon in Yongsan District, central Seoul, near where the deadly crowd crush occurred is empty on the night of Jan. 14. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

The once bustling alleys of Itaewon in central Seoul were deserted on a recent Saturday night. Staffers of pubs and restaurants stood out in the cold encouraging the occasional passerby to come in.  
   
It’s been almost three months since the crowd crush on Oct. 29 took the lives of 158 people, and that of a teen survivor who committed suicide shortly after.     
   
People clearly don’t feel comfortable going back to the area to party, and the pain is only deepening for business owners in Itaewon.   

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.