Police to bolster crowd control measures at Halloween festival venues

People pass by an alley that was the site of a deadly crowd crush in central Seoul’s Itaewon, Sunday. The tragic event claimed at least 158 lives, including 26 foreign nationals from 14 countries, during Halloween celebrations on Oct. 29, 2022. Yonhap

Police will deploy over 1,000 personnel for crowd control in Itaewon and 15 other areas in Seoul that expect to attract a large number of people celebrating the Halloween weekend, a year after the deadly Itaewon crowd crush that claimed at least 158 lives.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) announced during a regular press briefing, Monday, a set of enhanced crowd control and security measures for 16 areas of the capital that are anticipated to see huge crowds from Friday to next Tuesday.

“The agency selected high-risk alleys after holding several meetings and conducting field studies with local governments,” a police official said, explaining that the agency expects people to flock to Mapo and Gangnam districts instead of Itaewon and its neighboring area in Yongsan District this year.

“Police plan to secure room for people to wait in line and pass through the sidewalks by flashing lights and making announcements in narrow alleys,” the official added.

The 16 designated areas include Seoul’s major hotspots such as downtown's Ikseon-dong and Myeong-dong, commercial areas around Yonsei, Hongik and Konkuk universities, a trendy street lined with coffee shops in Seongdong District, food alleys in Mullae-dong, Apgujeong Rodeo Street, Sharosugil, and Nonhyeon, Sillim, Wangsimni subway stations as well as Itaewon.

The plan came amid predictions of a balloon effect, in which people opt for alternative neighborhoods other than Itaewon for Halloween celebrations due to the widespread sentiment of mourning over last year’s tragedy.

In response, police plan to station 1,260 officers across the capital on Friday and Saturday, when the largest crowds are expected. Special police squads will patrol three major subway stations to maintain security.

Last year, only 83 police officers were deployed to control the crowds in Itaewon during Halloween celebrations, which attracted over 100,000 people.

Police initially claimed to have dispatched 137 officers, but 54 of them were found to be in charge of cracking down on drug and sex crimes, according to documents obtained by nonpartisan lawmaker Rep. Lee Sung-man last year.

In the area around Hongik University, which expects to see the largest crowds among the 16 high-risk areas, Seoul Mapo Police Station will take extra measures for strengthened crowd control and safety starting from Friday.

A total of 1,600 personnel will be deployed over five days, including four police squads and 200 officers, while Mapo District police will direct pedestrian traffic at exits 8 and 9 of Hongik University Station and narrow alleys.

The district police also plan to run an emergency communication network with the district office, fire authorities and subway operator to take immediate action in case of accidents and operate an AI crowd analysis system to monitor crowd flow.