SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Halloween celebrations in South Korea were subdued on the eve of the anniversary of the harrowing party crush that killed about 160 people.
Many restaurants, 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 in Seoul’s popular nightlife Itaewon neighbourhood, the site of last year’s deadly surge when a large number of revellers and others packed an alley, causing people to fall on each other like dominos.
The walls of the narrow, sloped alley in Itaewon were plastered with numerous post-it notes with condolence messages, while white flowers were placed on the ground.
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 as well, 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 in a statement 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.
South Korean Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min places flowers to pay his condolence to the victims of the October 29, 2022 crush, in front of the messages for victims in Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: AP
