Is the Iteawon stampede tragedy "erasing" Halloween in Korea?

A year after a stampede of festival-goers in Seoul's Itaewon district, South Korea is restricting Halloween celebrations.

Retailers are limiting promotions and police are urging people to be careful when visiting crowded places.

Halloween became popular in Korea in the 2000s. Young people saw it as an opportunity to hold lively costume parties. The day gradually became an important event for the retail industry.

Thảm kịch giẫm đạp Iteawon đang 'xóa sổ' Halloween tại Hàn Quốc? - Ảnh 1. — The alley where the tragedy occurred in 2022 in Itaewon, South Korea. Photo: Whanwoong Choi/Bloomberg

This year, Lotte and Shinsegae stores decided not to decorate with Halloween-related images such as pumpkins or hold festive campaigns and events.

Retail store operators, including GS Retail, are not selling Halloween items and party foods.

According to Yonhap News, amusement parks including Lotte World and Everland are not holding any Halloween-related events this year.

Hotels also no longer use holiday-themed desserts and gifts.

Streets in central Seoul, including the Itaewon and Myeong-dong neighborhoods, also have no Halloween decorations.

As the city continues to mourn at least 158 victims, most of them young people.

The victims were trapped in a 3.2-meter alley that connects Itaewon's main street to an area filled with restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Near the site of the tragedy, a bar owner said business began to improve earlier this summer, after customers had stayed away for months.

But the owner said people still don't want to talk about this tragic incident.

Seoul Metropolitan Police said they will take safety measures in case of large crowds.

The agency advised people visiting crowded areas during Halloween to be aware of traffic rules, one-way streets, and cooperate with police in maintaining order and ensuring a safe Halloween.

The Itaewon incident is the worst tragedy in South Korea since the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking that killed 304 people.

Families of the victims in Itaewon are still holding vigils and calling for an investigation into the responsibility of police and officials in crowd control.

According to Bloomberg

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