The Ministry of Interior is taking steps to ensure safety ahead of the upcoming Halloween festival scheduled for October 31. The ministry has designated a 'special crowd management period' and is enhancing emergency response systems across various agencies.
On October 20, Minister Yoon Ho-jung held a meeting focused on safety management for large crowds during Halloween. The meeting was convened in anticipation of significant gatherings in popular areas such as Itaewon and Hongdae during the Halloween period, aiming to review safety measures and strengthen cooperation among relevant agencies.
The Ministry has declared a special crowd management period from October 23 to November 1, during which 28 regions nationwide identified as 'key areas for Halloween crowd management' will receive focused oversight.
Additionally, a 'Crisis Management Standard Manual for Crowded Areas in Roads, Squares, and Parks' has been implemented, issuing a 'Caution' alert to raise public awareness about safety and enhance emergency response systems.
Particularly in areas expected to see large crowds, including Seoul (Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu-dong, Konkuk University, Gangnam Station, Apgujeong, Myeongdong, and Ikseon-dong), Gwangju-Jeonnam (Cheomdan District), Busan (Seomyeon), Daegu (Dongseongro), and Daejeon (Dunsan-dong), pre-inspection teams will be dispatched to assess safety management plans, deployment of safety personnel, facility safety management, and the management of bottleneck areas (entrances, stairs, alleys) before the special measures period begins.
Moreover, during the weekend of Halloween (October 30 to November 1), field situation managers from the Ministry will be sent to the 12 key areas to closely monitor the situation until crowds disperse safely, collaborating with local governments, police, and fire departments.
During the meeting, Minister Yoon urged the public to adhere to safety guidelines to prevent crowd-related incidents during Halloween. He stated, 'The government will work diligently with relevant agencies to ensure that citizens can enjoy their daily lives safely, wherever they are. I hope those celebrating Halloween will familiarize themselves with crowd safety protocols and actively cooperate with on-site order maintenance.'
Meanwhile, Yongsan District anticipates around 165,000 visitors in the Itaewon area during Halloween and plans to deploy over 2,550 safety personnel from the district office, police, and fire departments. Yongsan has updated its congestion assessment criteria based on crowd data collected last year. The district will utilize intelligent CCTV, real-time smart maps, data on passenger numbers at Itaewon Station, and the Ministry's crowd notification system to monitor crowd density.
Yongsan will focus not only on the Itaewon tourist district but also on areas such as Haebangchon, Gyeongridan-gil, and Yonggildan-gil. The operational status of 218 cameras and 49 emergency bells in the Itaewon area will be checked, and a disaster command bus will be deployed on-site starting from the Halloween weekend.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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