The Lens: Halloween crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district leaves more than 149 dead

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  • Tragedy struck the South Korean capital during its first major Halloween festivities in three years
  • Each week, we choose a picture from the news and provide questions to help you dive deeper into the topic
Young Post ReadersYanni Chow |
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Rescue teams and firefighters work at the scene where dozens of people were injured in a stampede during a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea on October 29, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Have some thoughts on this issue? Send us your response (no more than 300 words) by filling out this form or emailing [email protected] by November 9 at 11.59pm. We’ll publish the best response next week.

Observe and read

  • Based on the picture, what do you think might have caused the large number of casualties?

  • Why was crowd control at the scene inadequate, according to the news snippet?

News snippet

Young people flocking to Seoul’s popular Itaewon district for the first major Halloween festivities in three years found themselves caught in a deadly crush that some reports say killed as many as 156 people.

Officials are still investigating what prompted the crowd of people, mostly in their teens and early 20s, to surge on October 29, but social media footage showed people squeezing into the narrow, sloping streets surrounding the alley where many deaths would occur.

Witnesses reported seeing crowds surging in different directions and people losing their footing on the slope, causing a domino effect.

People fell and knocked others down, piling one person on to another and trapping them. Others tried to scale the sides of the buildings to escape.

Authorities had predicted up to 100,000 people would join the festivities, the first without major Covid-19 restrictions since the pandemic began in 2020.

However, they said it wasn’t deemed necessary to deploy more officers than usual for the Halloween weekend, and witnesses said it was hard to detect a significant police presence amid the crowds of people.

Transcripts of the emergency calls made before the stampede revealed revellers’ growing fears of the crowd as they urged the police to intervene.

National Police Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun acknowledged that crowd control at the scene was “inadequate”.

The interior minister and the mayor of Seoul have both apologised, and safety experts said that proper crowd and traffic control by the authorities could have prevented or at least reduced the surge of partygoers.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a national week of mourning and called for better safety measures to manage crowds.

The festivities in Itaewon did not have a central organiser, which meant government authorities were not required to establish or enforce safety protocols.

Reuters and Yanni Chow

Research and discuss

  • To what extent do you agree with the importance of crowd control at street events? Explain your answer.

  • How should people protect themselves to avoid tragedies like the Itaewon incident?

Thoughts from last week

Britain’s newly appointed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak waves as he poses outside 10 Downing Street in central London on October 25, 2022. Photo: AFP

Valerie Shek, Independent Schools Foundation

Rishi Sunak, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has made headlines for being the wealthiest inhabitant of No 10 Downing Street. Sunak and his wife are estimated to have a combined wealth of US$810 million – more than that of King Charles.

Although many are sceptical that Sunak’s wealth might conflict with his job as Prime Minister, I don’t think this is the case. We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be the finest Prime Minister Britain has ever had.

I have faith in Sunak. Being the first person of colour to serve as Prime Minister is an achievement; it is progressive and signals hope, which the country needs as it faces economic turmoil and out-of-control inflation. It takes courage to step up, break boundaries and pave the way for future generations to be represented in spaces many could never have dreamed of.

We should not overlook Sunak’s past achievements and economic expertise. Sunak comes with a wealth of experience, and he is a fluent communicator regarding the economy. There is hope that he can steer Britain out of economic instability.

Will Britain’s new prime minister Rishi Sunak be worth his weight in gold?

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