As Halloween coincides with the weekend, authorities are preparing for large crowds in major urban areas across the country. More than 7,800 police officers will be deployed, along with armored vehicles, drug inspections in nightlife districts, and a disaster medical response system.
According to the National Police Agency, the 'Halloween Special Measures Period' began on October 23 and will continue until November 1. Over 7,800 police personnel will be stationed at 28 key locations nationwide, including Itaewon and Hongdae. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has raised the crowd incident alert level to 'caution.'
Police and relevant agencies have established joint situation rooms at major sites. This year, six intelligent closed-circuit (CC) TVs have been installed in Itaewon’s World Food Culture Street to monitor crowd density in real-time. If a report of crowd congestion is received, it will be classified as 'Code 1' or higher, prompting immediate response.
Traffic restrictions will also be implemented. Vehicle access on Itaewon-ro in Yongsan District will be fully restricted starting at 6 p.m. on the day of Halloween. One lane of the Hongdae club street will be closed to create a pedestrian space. Depending on crowd conditions, non-stop passage through Itaewon Station on Subway Line 6 may also be considered.
In preparation for serious crimes and terrorism, seven criminal teams, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's regional prevention patrol unit, and special police units, including armored vehicles and bomb detection dogs, have been mobilized. Additionally, inspections will focus on preventing the possession of imitation firearms and weapons disguised as Halloween costumes, as well as similar police uniforms and equipment that could cause confusion. Kim Jong-cheol, acting chief of the National Police Agency, visited the Itaewon tourism special zone the day before to inspect the area and pay tribute to the victims at 'October 29: A Path of Remembrance and Safety.'
Efforts to prevent drug-related crimes are also underway. On October 30, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted joint inspections of eight major clubs in Gangnam, Seocho, and Yongsan with fire and local authorities. No violations of the Narcotics Control Act were found during this operation, which was part of a government-wide special crackdown on drug offenses.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has activated its disaster medical response system. Since October 23, the ministry has issued a preemptive 'Code Blue' alert for 12 key management areas during Halloween. The Seoul Severe Patient Public Transport Center (S-MICU), equipped with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) devices, has been deployed across four regions in Seoul, ready to respond in case of emergencies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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