Posted yesterday at 10:00 a.m.
When I lived in Seoul 20 years ago, my first Halloween happened in the Itaewon district, exactly where the tragic stampede took place that caused at least 150 deaths on Saturday evening.
One of Seoul’s most vibrant neighborhoods, Itaewon remains the city’s most frequented spot for foreign nationals, a place that has a mix of European restaurants, Turkish cafes as well as bars with Canadian owners selling poutine .
Itaewon was also then (and remains today) a haven for the outcasts of Korean conservative society like the LGBTQ+ community, non-binaries, and vagabonds. Having become very popular and very chic today, the district has several illustrious residents of Korean stardom such as members of the BTS supergroup of K-Pop.
Twenty years ago, it was a much quieter place and the only place in Seoul where you could see people walking down the street in costume on Halloween night.
Over the years, however, the city of Seoul has become more and more cosmopolitan, and international celebrations like Christmas and Halloween that drew a few hundred people to the Itaewon district 20 years ago have become huge events. which today count hundreds of thousands of revelers.
A horror scene
Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, thousands of young revelers rushed to a small street in the neighborhood believing they had seen a celebrity. A deadly stampede followed which literally suffocated more than 150 young people to their deaths. Hearing cries of panic, a friend of mine who lives in the neighborhood came out of his residence to come to the aid of the victims as a volunteer first responder. He confided to me that he had seen three young people die while he was giving them first aid.
Worse still, the scene was so chaotic and surreal that several revelers chose to continue partying in defiance of the horror scenes unfolding around them. Despite the remains lying on the ground and unconscious people in the streets, many have chosen to continue to frequent the establishments of the district.
As of 6 a.m., many bars within walking distance of the tragedy were still packed with customers.
The Itaewon district has always been a refuge for people marginalized from conservative Korean society. Bohemians, soldiers, Westerners and Africans—all felt safe and comfortable in this vibrant neighborhood. The fact that this horror has arrived here is doubly tragic because of its role as a sanctuary.
Twenty years ago, Seoul was one of the safest cities in the world. With a warm and welcoming people and a very low crime rate, you could walk the streets of the city at any time in complete safety. During the 2002 World Cup in Korea, I joined the huge crowds celebrating in the streets and never feared for my safety.