The Tragedy at Itaewon: Crowd Surge Claims Over 156 Lives
Written by Sydney Lim (W’25); Edited by Khwaish Lakhiani
The Crowd Surge
A neighborhood known for its vibrant nightlife and for being foreigner-friendly, Itaewon is a popular location for young adults and large celebrations. Many were excited to celebrate Halloween for the first time since the pandemic had arisen, especially following South Korea’s government lifting COVID-19 social distance restrictions.
However, officials were not prepared for the estimated 100,000 people to cram into the narrow streets of Itaewon on the night of Oct. 29.
With large crowds packed into such small areas, pushing ensued and people were shoved down a narrow hill. According to the New York Times, witnesses described the scene as people falling “like dominoes,” with partygoers being crushed and pulled under the crowd. The intensity of the cramming resulted in suffocation and cardiac arrest to occur among many in the crowd.
After the loss of 156 lives and over 172 injured, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a week of mourning the day after the deadly incident had occurred. Funds for the victims’ families were also allocated by the government.
With victims being mostly in their 20s and the youngest having been 15, people were heartbroken over the tragedy – as many were just beginning their careers and lives.
Protests from activists and political groups took to the capital, Seoul, to call for the government led by Suk Yeol to step down. General sentiments were that of the failure to meet the responsibility the government holds in protecting its people and its young – as they argued this situation was preventable.
This was not the first time the government was blamed for a mass incident: the public sentiment was that the government had also largely mishandled the tragedy of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster where over 250 children died following the boat flipping.
Student Reactions
When news of the Itaewon crowd crush was first released, several Penn students were shocked. The incident reminded many of Travis Scott’s 2021 Astroworld Festival crowd where 10 people were killed, 3 of which were minors as young as 9.
For some students, this incident that took place 6,992 miles away in South Korea hit home.
Junior Izi Lee was in disbelief when she first heard about the news. “Itaewon is where my friend and her family live, not even a 5-minute walk from where the stampede happened,” recalled Lee. “I go there almost every week whenever I’m in Korea, so I just couldn’t fathom this ever happening at a place I call home.”
As Korean Standard Time (KST) is 14 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST), news quickly circulated over social media the morning of Oct. 29 on the East Coast of the US. For sophomore Ejun Hong whose parents live in South Korea, anxiousness set in waiting for the responses from her loved ones back home.
“I was so scared because most of the victims were my age,” said Hong. “I called and texted everyone I know in Korea… to make sure they are OK. I was worried my friends might have gone to Itaewon.”
On that Saturday, junior Anthony Yang received a text learning about the tragedy from one of his close friends in South Korea.
“He had experienced it first-hand and sent photos. It was pretty tragic, and I was shocked that it happened in Korea,” said Yang.
This unfortunate mass incident left many devastated and searching for reasons as to why this could have occurred. Lee described potential factors being the lack of proactive preparations of the large crowd from the government and the “engrained generational issue” in South Korea.
“This younger generation… [who are] more exposed to the Western world… with so much energy and desire to express themselves… has only one night throughout the year when they can truly be themselves, dress up, and embrace creativity and individuality,” said Lee.
As many of the victims were of similar age to Penn students, this unfortunate event felt more personal.
“You were all so young and full of life. I’m so sorry an innocent night of fun turned into such a tragedy,” said Lee. “Rest in peace.”
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/world/asia/seoul-itaewon-crowd-crush-victims.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-south-korea-week-of-mourning-follows-halloween-crowd-crush-11667483987
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/29/asia/south-korea-halloween-cardiac-arrest-intl
https://graphics.reuters.com/SOUTHKOREA-STAMPEDE/CHRONOLOGY/zjvqjqmmlpx/index.html
https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20221030000185
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/30/asia/seoul-crowd-surge-investigation-intl/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/article/astroworld-festival-what-to-know.html