The Itaewon Halloween Tragedy: A Fatal Crowd Crush in Seoul

The Itaewon Halloween disaster unfolded on the evening of Oct. 29, 2022, during Halloween celebrations in one of Seoul's busiest nightlife districts.

A massive crowd, estimated to be in the tens of thousands, filled the narrow streets of Itaewon. The area's infrastructure couldn't handle such a large number of people, and the lack of organized crowd control quickly escalated into chaos.

As the crowd density intensified, people became trapped with no escape. The situation spiraled out of control, and the crowd crush resulted in widespread panic and suffocation.

Emergency workers arrived at the scene, but the overwhelming number of casualties made rescue efforts challenging. The local police station and Yongsan Police Station were criticized for their delayed response and inadequate preparation.

The Itaewon crowd crush left an indelible mark on South Korea, particularly among young people. Families mourned the loss of loved ones, and the tragedy sparked nationwide grief and outrage. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the South Korean government faced intense scrutiny, with calls for accountability from the public and the media.

Legal proceedings followed, with the Seoul Western District Court examining the roles of local authorities and event organizers. Kim Kwang-ho, the Seoul police chief, faced charges, but a Seoul court acquitted him in 2024. In response, the families of the victims asked prosecutors to appeal the decision.

"The court missed an opportunity to reflect on the gravity of the responsibility of public officials to protect the lives and safety of the public, and to remind state leaders and members of society of this," the families said. "The prosecution's weak investigation and the court's passive interpretation of the law have delayed the punishment of those responsible for the tragedy and violated the rights of victims once again."

The incident also led to widespread discussions about crowd density and the importance of proper planning for large-scale events. Memorials were established in Itaewon to honor the victims, serving as a somber reminder of the lives lost.

In the wake of the Itaewon Halloween disaster, the families believe the government has done little to prevent a future tragedy, according to The New York Times.

In 2023, the bars in Itaewon didn't promote any Halloween-themed events. Local authorities prepared for a potential influx of people, including changing the tiles in one area to make it less slippery and using artificial intelligence technology to keep an eye on hubs.

But the families believe that these precautions don't answer the underlying issues. "The whole government was united in trying to push this case under the surface," said Lee Jeong-min (who lost a daughter in Itaewon) to the NYT. "One thing we learned in the past year is that no safety system matters unless you have a government with a sense of responsibility."

By 2024, the government also set up an alert system, which counts the number of people in an area and alerts police if an area becomes overcrowded.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.