crowd safety-Halloween

▲ This file photo, taken Oct. 31, 2025, shows people walking around the nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul on Halloween. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- Authorities plan to strengthen crowd safety measures in Seoul ahead of Halloween festivities later this month, a senior police official said Monday.

Ko Beom-seok, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, shared the plans ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Oct. 29 Halloween crowd crush in the nightlife district of Itaewon, which left 159 people dead.

Ko told reporters in a briefing that police are working with ward offices on safety inspections ahead of celebrations for Halloween, which falls on Oct. 31.

Yongsan Ward, which administers the Itaewon area, said it plans to deploy about 2,550 personnel for crowd management in Itaewon from Friday to Nov. 1, when large crowds are expected to gather for Halloween festivities.

The 2022 tragedy happened during Halloween celebrations in Itaewon after crowds surged into a narrow alley in the district.

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