Ahead of this year's "Halloween Day" (Oct. 31), Yongsan District, which includes Itaewon, Mapo District, which includes Hongdae, and the Seoul city government announced measures to prevent crowd accidents. In particular, they said they would focus on cracking down on illegal parking and standing. That is because there were claims that during the deadly crowd crush in the nightlife district of Itaewon three years ago, illegal parking delayed ambulance access.
However, a look around Itaewon and the Hongdae area on the 27th and 28th found illegal parking visible in many places. In many spots, sidewalks were narrowed by A-boards and chairs put out by businesses. Also, emergency bells installed on utility poles to alert the police situation room in an emergency were blocked by food waste containers and other piles of trash, making them hard to access.
◇Itaewon's 4-meter-wide alley, risky to pass due to restaurant A-boards and illegally parked cars
On the night of the 27th, at the World Food Street in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul. Two to three safety personnel wearing jackets labeled "Yongsan District" patrolled carrying light batons. Dozens of barricades were placed along major streets to separate crowds by walking direction. One restaurant even posted a notice reading "No waiting lines due to street congestion."
But there were not a few shortcomings. In an alley about 4 meters wide, four A-boards installed by a restaurant had narrowed the roadway by about 1 meter. An illegally parked car was nearby. On streets packed with clubs and bars, motorcycles, kickboards, and bicycles were left standing without authorization in various places.
One bar had placed a large electric heater for staff who solicit customers on the sidewalk. It was just 100 meters from the site of the tragedy three years ago. A worker, a person surnamed Park, 34, said, "Safety personnel pass by occasionally, but I didn't get the sense that the street was being managed."
Emergency bells attached to utility poles in the area were hard to reach, obscured by food waste bins and piles of trash. If an emergency occurs, pressing these bells allows a direct report to the police station or the local government situation room. A worker, a person surnamed Kim, 32, said, "Since the tragedy, the streets seem slightly more organized than before, but I still feel anxious that another accident could happen."
◇In front of Hongdae clubs, barricades and chairs on sidewalks hinder passage
Conditions were similar in front of Hongdae. Around 11 p.m. on the 28th, after the reporter walked around the club alley area for about an hour, more than 50 cars, motorcycles, and bicycles were illegally parked or standing. One vehicle stopped for over five minutes while up on the sidewalk, and pedestrians stepped down onto the roadway to avoid it. In some sections, food waste bins, A-boards, and illegally parked bicycles were jumbled together, making it virtually impossible to pass along the sidewalk.
Some clubs and bars set up their own barricades or put out chairs for waiting customers, taking up half the sidewalk. A-boards were placed in the middle of the sidewalk. A worker, a person surnamed Ahn, 28, said, "Sidewalks are narrow around here, and I'm worried about what it will be like during the Halloween festival."
◇Local governments say there are limits to safety management that relies on guidance and fines
The city and districts including Yongsan and Mapo have prepared and are implementing measures to prevent crowd accidents ahead of this year's Halloween festival. Safety personnel are deployed at key points in Itaewon to disperse crowds, and digital billboards in Itaewon and in front of Hongdae display real-time congestion levels. Safety fences are also being installed, safety personnel patrol the scene, and illegal parking and standing are being enforced.
Local governments say there are limits to safety management. Yongsan District, from 7 p.m. on the 27th for three hours and 30 minutes, cracked down on 16 cases of illegal street vending and stored items (business fixtures), eight cases of illegal advertisements including A-boards, and 27 parking and standing violations. A district official said, "We are combining guidance with imposing fines, but eradication is not easy."
An official from Mapo District said, "Since last Friday, public officials, police, and voluntary crime prevention teams have been continuing patrols," and added, "We will conduct intensive management through Nov. 1 to clear as many stored items as possible that obstruct passage."