Ahead of Halloween, police urge public to check exits and evacuation routes

With Halloween on Oct. 31 approaching, more than 100,000 people are expected to descend on the Itaewon area. Drawing on the painful lessons of the Itaewon crowd crush, police and other authorities have launched special safety operations focused on major entertainment districts — including Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu and Myeong-dong — where large crowds are anticipated.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced Friday that it will operate a "special safety activity period for crowded venues" through Nov. 1. Commissioner Go Beom-seok visited the Itaewon crowd crush site in Yongsan-gu on Thursday, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the disaster, to pay tribute to the victims and review safety preparations.

The agency has designated 14 locations across Seoul as areas of expected crowd concentration. A total of 4,594 officers will be deployed to key entertainment districts including Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu, Myeong-dong and Ikseon-dong, with 30 riot-control companies and 765 traffic officers among those mobilized. Authorities will also identify and clear obstacles to pedestrian movement — including street stalls, fixtures and objects — before Halloween.

Vehicle traffic in major entertainment districts will be restricted in stages from Oct. 31 through Nov. 1.

The main traffic control zones are: Yongsan-gu's Itaewon-ro (from the Itaewon entrance to the Cheil Worldwide intersection); Mapo-gu's Jandari-ro (from Samgeori Pocha to Sangsang Madang); Seongdong-gu's Yeonmujang-gil (from the Daelim Changgo intersection to the Gyeongdong Elementary School intersection); Jung-gu's Myeong-dong Street (from the Samil-daero entrance to the front of the Central Post Office); and Jongno-gu's Ikseon-dong (Donahwamun-ro 11-gil).

Efforts to prevent violent crimes, including knife attacks, will also be stepped up. Police plan to inspect blind spots in closed-circuit television coverage and closely monitor anyone suspected of carrying a weapon or behaving suspiciously.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety held an interagency response meeting Tuesday and designated 28 locations nationwide as priority crowd management sites during the special measures period. The ministry also released four safety rules for preventing crowd crush incidents.

The four rules are: avoid visiting crowded venues during peak hours and check entrances and evacuation routes in advance; maintain a safe distance in narrow alleys, on slopes and on staircases; follow the guidance of on-site safety personnel by keeping to the right and refraining from pushing or stopping suddenly; and immediately leave congested areas and call 112 or 119 if warning signs of crowd pressure or other dangers appear.