In response to a stampede that occurred during Seoul’s Halloween festivities, South Korea is cancelling events ranging from K-pop concerts to government briefings. The death toll has risen to over 150.
A day of national mourning has been declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol that would last until November 5. In addition to cancelling Halloween parties and the opening ceremony for one of Korea’s biggest sales festivals, the Finance Ministry also postponed a press conference with international reporters. A significant K-pop event in Busan that was scheduled to attract roughly 40,000 people was also cancelled, according to the organiser.
Additionally, parades and fireworks displays associated with Halloween that were due to take place in November at the theme parks run by Samsung C&T Corp. and Hotel Lotte Co., Everland in Yongin and Lotte World in Jamsil, were postponed. The company’s Halloween celebration, which was scheduled to be streamed online, has been cancelled, according to SM Entertainment. According to Yonhap News, Starbucks Korea and a few department retailers have stopped advertising Halloween-related goods.
The stampede took place on Saturday night in Seoul’s Itaewon neighbourhood during an event that attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. According to fire officials, the incident happened around 10:15 p.m. as a sizable crowd of people entered a small alleyway behind the Hamilton Hotel.