South Koreans hold subdued Halloween celebrations a year after party crush killed 159
- Thousands of police, emergency and other officials have been deployed since Friday for crowd control in Itaewon and 15 major nightlife districts in Seoul
- Officials have tried to overhaul the country’s safety systems and response protocols since the tragedy but safety-related incidents have continued
Many restaurants, bars, department stores and amusement parks are avoiding Halloween-themed events as a sign of respect for the victims. Few people clad in Halloween costumes were seen Saturday in Seoul’s popular Itaewon neighbourhood, the site of last year’s deadly surge when many revellers and others packed an alley, causing people to fall on each other like dominoes.
The walls of the narrow, sloped alley in Itaewon were plastered with numerous Post-it notes with condolence messages that read “We won’t forget you” and “We’ll remember you”. A mourning station established in central Seoul received many visitors, who laid white flowers and burned incense in front of photos of the victims.
In Seoul’s Hongdae area, another entertainment zone, there were only a few people wearing Halloween outfits.
Authorities have deployed thousands of police, emergency and other officials since Friday for crowd control and safety of pedestrians in Itaewon and 15 other major nightlife districts in Seoul. About 200 police officers were separately mobilised to monitor narcotics use and violent crime, according to Seoul police.
“I offer a deep apology again by bearing the sorrow and heavy responsibility for the disaster in my heart,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said on Friday. “The way to overcome the pains and sorrow of the disaster is preventing this kind of incident from happening again.”
Bereaved families are to hold a formal memorial service on Sunday.
02:17
South Korean police seek charges against 23 officials over deadly Itaewon crowd crush
