An the day after the Halloween night stampede in Seoul that killed at least 151 people, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday declared a period of national mourning. “Such a tragedy and disaster should never have happened in the heart of Soul,” Yoon said. He offered his condolences to the relatives of the dead and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
On Sunday night, tens of thousands of people gathered in the popular Itaewon nightlife district of the South Korean capital to celebrate Halloween in costumes and with friends. According to reports from eyewitnesses, more and more party-goers pushed into a sloping street about four meters wide, in which people fell to the ground and could no longer breathe in the narrowness. According to the local fire department, at least 151 people died in the rush. 82 were injured, some seriously. The death toll can still rise.
According to Sunday information, 19 foreigners are among the dead, including people from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway. Most of the victims were in their late teens or twenties. In Seoul, authorities reported more than 350 missing persons reports on Sunday. The mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hoon, wants to cut short his trip to Europe after the accident and return to Korea.
“Layed on top of each other as in a grave”
“People fell like dominoes and on top of each other,” said one survivor. The loud music drowned out the screams of the victims. Another eyewitness reported that the victims lay on top of each other “like in a grave”. The first emergency calls reached the fire brigade around 10:15 p.m. Some survivors complained that the tragedy claimed more lives because the bars and clubs on the street allegedly didn’t let anyone in. Yoon ordered a full investigation into the tragedy to prevent such stampedes and stampedes at similar major events.
It is South Korea’s worst tragedy since 2014 when the Sewol ferry went down. At that time 304 people died, most of them school children. The Sewol disaster and the government’s response, which was criticized as inadequate, was one of the reasons for the great displeasure with then-President Park Geun-hye, who was later deposed after mass protests.
It was the first Halloween night after the end of most of the corona restrictions in South Korea and the enthusiasm was correspondingly high. For the past two years, restrictions to protect against Covid-19 had prevented Halloween from becoming a massive mass spectacle in Seoul.
Condolences from Biden and Scholz
The Halloween festival comes from ancient Celtic customs to drive away evil spirits at the beginning of the dark season. In its commercialized version, with hollowed-out pumpkins and childish masquerade, Halloween later spread from the United States to the world. In South Korea, as in neighboring Japan, young people celebrate Halloween on the streets of popular nightlife areas. Typically, many of the party-goers are costumed as skeletons, vampires, or ghosts, rudimentarily reminiscent of the festival’s religious origins. Halloween is actually celebrated on the eve of All Saints’ Day on November 1st, but in South Korea or Japan there are celebrations taking place this weekend. Halloween in these Asian countries is also becoming an attraction for foreign tourists.
Saturday’s catastrophe also caused consternation and horror abroad. “The tragic events in Seoul shock us deeply,” wrote Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on the short message service Twitter. “Our thoughts are with the many victims and their families.” US President Joe Biden said the United States stands with South Korea at this tragic time. French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar statement.
