Halloween celebrations in South Korea are subdued on the eve of the anniversary of the harrowing party crush that killed about 160 people. Many restaurants, bars, department stores and amusement parks are avoiding Halloween-themed events as a sign of respect for the victims.
South Korean Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min places flowers to pay his condolence to the victims of the Oct. 29, 2022 crush, in front of the messages for victims in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. South Koreans are holding highly subdued Halloween celebrations this weekend amid tight police security, as the country marks the first anniversary of the harrowing party crush that killed about 160 people.
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 mobilized to monitor narcotics use and violent crime as well, according to Seoul police.
“First of all, the problem is that there have been only stopgap measures whenever some incidents happened,” said Park Sangin, a professor at Seoul National University. “Also, the bigger problem is that there has been no clear accountability for them.” In February, South Korea’s opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach the safety minister, Lee Sang-min, over the Itaewon disaster. But the Constitutional Court in July overturned Lee’s impeachment.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Halloween spending expected to exceed $12 billion this yearAn estimated 73% of Americans will celebrate Halloween or participate in Halloween activities this year.
Read more »
South Pasadena's ‘Halloween' hedge still attracts visitors after 45 yearsA house in South Pasadena holds a piece of Halloween history in its front yard.
Read more »
South Pasadena's ‘Halloween' hedge still attracts visitors after 45 yearsA house in South Pasadena holds a piece of Halloween history in its front yard.
Read more »
One year after South Korean Halloween tragedy, wounds remain raw, accusations flyItaewon, the Seoul district where 159 holiday revelers were crushed to death last Halloween, is neither silent nor haunted as the tragedy's first anniversary looms.
Read more »
South Korean Investors Prefer Altcoins to Majors, Tron to Ethereum: DeSpread ResearchKoreans trade differently to the rest of the world, market data shows.
Read more »