'Hell'oween? Concerns Over a Second Itaewon Incident

Young People Preparing for Halloween Day as Clubs Open
Clubs Busy Promoting Parties... Posts Searching for Groups Overflow
Concerns Over Possible Recurrence of 'Itaewon Club Incident'... Control Plans Not Yet Finalized

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] "We can hold gatherings and go to amusement parks now, so is there any reason why only the 'Halloween party' is not allowed?"

Lee Soo-yeon (27, pseudonym), an office worker living in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, plans to visit Itaewon with friends on October 31, 'Halloween Day.' Every year, dressing up as movie characters or popular figures and going to clubs is an annual event for her. Recently, as social distancing was eased to level 1 and clubs reopened, she began making concrete plans. She said, "It's enjoyable to chat with friends while thinking about what costume to wear this year." When asked about concerns over the spread of COVID-19, she replied, "I've been waiting for this day for a year, and if we are careful while having fun, there shouldn't be any problems."

Halloween Day is a representative American event where people dress up as ghosts or monsters and go around collecting candy and chocolates. The Halloween Day imported to Korea has become known for young people in various costumes roaming the busy districts filled with clubs. Around Halloween every year, it is easy to see young people in unique costumes strolling the streets or dancing in clubs in busy areas like Itaewon, Hongdae, and Gangnam.

Promotional material for a club's Halloween Day event. Photo by SNS capture

For clubs, which have been struggling without customers for a while, this is also a peak season. Some clubs that have finished preparing for the event have already started promoting Halloween Day to attract customers. A club official said, "Clubs suffered a lot from the long closure, but everyone expects this Halloween to be a turning point." Various posts related to Halloween, such as "Will there be many people during Halloween?" and "Looking for Halloween costume recommendations," are flooding online communities related to clubs. Group chat rooms on KakaoTalk where people meet to find companions to party with in the club scene are also emerging one after another.

Given this situation, there are concerns that the Itaewon club-related mass infection incident from last May might recur. Especially since those enjoying Halloween often gather in groups for photo shoots and many use face paint, there are growing doubts about whether quarantine rules like mask-wearing will be properly followed. A national petition has also appeared requesting the closure of clubs and entertainment facilities during Halloween. The police and local district offices have not yet established any control plans related to Halloween.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.