Itaewon’s business revival fades with the Halloween tragedy

Itaewon has been the center of news the past weekend as the Halloween festival celebration has turned deadly. In the latest report, more than 150 people were confirmed dead, and 26 of them were foreigners that include five from Iran, four Chinese, four Russians, two Americans, two Japanese, one French, one Australian, one Vietnamese, one Sri Lankan, one Austrian, one Thai, one Norwegian, and one each from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Most of the victims are teens and in their 20s, which made the incident even more heartbreaking and a total nightmare for parents. More than a hundred were also injured due to a stampede that crushed the Halloween party-goers to death on the evening of Oct. 29.

Itaewon is a district in Seoul known for its nightlife, as it is teeming with bars and restaurants. It has also become a popular destination for those who want to celebrate Halloween. During the pandemic, this area did not have many visitors as it used to and many businesses there even closed shops.

Before Halloween this year, all the COVID-19-related restrictions were lifted, and this gave Itaewon the opportunity to recover as young people started to gather there again. However, the recent Halloween festival went wrong as more people came when the streets are very narrow to accommodate everyone.

It was pointed out that the surge of people in the area to the party was due to the fact that this was the first time that the youngsters were permitted to hang out in groups again, and face masks are not even required as well. Their excitement created a massive gathering of people that ended in a tragedy that will forever be etched in the country’s history.

Now, this disaster has also dimmed the chance for Itaewon to revive its once bustling business as people are more likely to avoid it now due to the incident. Many owners that are slowly re-opening their stores after more than two years are closing again due to the Halloween incident.

“I don’t think I will be able to dine or meet with friends in Itaewon for some time,” a 32-year-old citizen said. “It will remind me too much of the accident.”

Meanwhile, businesses are also halting operations in Itaewon for a 2-day mourning period that was announced by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

“Some stores have already stopped operations,” an official said. “Whether the temporary closure will extend depends on how the situation unfolds.”

Photo by: Bundo Kim/Unsplash