Itaewon, scene of crowd surge, filled with sorrow

By Hiroshi Mizota / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

13:34 JST, November 1, 2022

SEOUL — A large number of people visited the site of Saturday’s crowd surge in Itaewon, Seoul, to pay tribute and lay flowers for victims on Monday night, Halloween. The popular district, which is usually crowded every day with young people until the early hours, has been filled with deep sorrow.

The area nearby the scene of the crowd surge, which is normally packed with tourists and foreigners, has been closed to traffic since the accident occurred. On Monday, the area was empty and quiet, with most shops closed and the street lights turned off.

The tragedy has shocked the entire nation. According to South Korean media reports, a number of Halloween events have been cancelled across the country.