As the night deepens, the area around Itaewon and Gangnam Station becomes somewhat crowded.
Efforts are also being made to prevent accidents in restaurants and bars.
Police and Seoul City “We will do our best to manage safety”
It will soon be the second anniversary of the Itaewon disaster.
Starting Friday night before Halloween, the police and the Seoul Metropolitan Government deployed personnel to major areas where people were expected to flock.
According to the police on the 25th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Seoul Metropolitan Government plan to make every effort to manage safety during the Halloween period.
The police will deploy 3,012 police officers to Hongdae, Itaewon, Gangnam, Konkuk University, and Myeong-dong this weekend and conduct special management focusing on 15 areas where large crowds are expected to gather until the 31st.
The city also decided to conduct joint patrols in eight key management areas where large numbers of people are expected to gather until the 27th, and to operate a ‘Halloween key safety management period’ until the 3rd of next month.
As the night deepened, the streets of Itaewon began to become so crowded that the police had to take action to ensure safety.
Although the information board for the crowd detection system said ‘smooth walking’, when the club began operating at 10 PM, restaurants and bars that were full of empty tables in the evening began to fill with customers. At one point, about 30 people stood in a long line at a bar where a DJ party was held.
Even in the evening, the alleyways, where there were more workers setting up red barricades to manage the crowd than there were people coming to enjoy Friday night, were also full of people coming out to smoke after eating or drinking. The once quiet street was now filled with music so loud that you could feel the vibrations.
It is said that the streets of Gangnam Station had a similar atmosphere.
As the night deepened, long lines of people formed at bars and gun carriages near Exit 10 of Gangnam Station.
Some stores were decorated with ghosts, spider webs, and hobnail decorations to match the Halloween theme. It was starting to feel a bit like Halloween. Citizens wearing Hanbok or Halloween cosplay as animation characters were also noticed.
Efforts to prevent accidents in restaurants and bars were also noticeable.
The touting employees stood at the entrance to the store, gesturing or shouting, but did not storm into the street.
This is because, when crowds gather, the signs erected on each street for business may threaten pedestrian safety.
Government officials and police officers wearing vests and holding light batons stood in every alley, and red barricades were also installed throughout the streets to encourage traffic on the right when crowds gathered.
At Gangnam Station, a joint on-site situation room with related organizations was set up between exits 11 and 12. Emergency medical stations, medical buses, and ambulances were also deployed around the situation room.
It is said that among citizens, there were voices that pointed out that safety management should be strengthened on a regular basis, and that it is better to be excessively concerned about safety rather than being insensitive.
Meanwhile, Mapo-gu Mayor Park Kang-soo visited the ‘Halloween Response Joint Situation Room’ installed at Red Road R4 in Hongdae that night and began full-scale crowd management. At the site, 425 people, including district office officials, police, fire departments, and private organizations, were deployed to respond to the crisis and provide safety guidance.
Mayor Park, who is trying to manage the crowds, inspects every nook and cranny, from the area around Exit 9 of Hongik University Station, where many people gather, to Red Road R1~R6, and Club Street, where Mapo-gu recently widened the pedestrian path for safety, and removes illegal advertisements and electric vehicles that pose a threat to pedestrians. Kickboards, accumulated trash, etc. were immediately moved.
He said, “With the belief that there is no excess in safety, we will focus our administrative power on crowd management from today until the early morning of the day after Halloween Day,” and added, “We will ensure that both residents and tourists visiting Hongdae during Halloween can enjoy a safe and peaceful weekend like usual.” “I will do my best,” he said.
Reporter Kim Hyun-joo hjk@segye.com
ⓒ Eyes to see the world, Segye Ilbo
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