[Report] Illegal Extensions Fueling the Itaewon Disaster... Other Alleyways Also at Risk

Temporary booths and terraces illegally expanded, narrowing streets
Unsafe illegal buildings threaten safety beyond disaster sites
Even if caught, they are temporarily removed and reinstalled... enforcement is difficult

Illegal extension of a pub terrace in Itaewon World Food Culture Street where a Halloween Day crush accident occurred (Photo by Ryu Taemin)

[Asia Economy Reporters Ryu Taemin and Hwang Seoyul] It has been confirmed that most of the buildings in the alley where the Itaewon tragedy occurred were illegal constructions, such as unauthorized extensions. This has led to a bottleneck effect in the already narrow alleyways, which is believed to have exacerbated the damage. Notably, many alleys throughout the Itaewon area remain difficult for large crowds to pass through, indicating that the risk is still high.

Visiting the alley next to the Hamilton Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the ‘Itaewon Halloween tragedy’ occurred on the 2nd, numerous illegal constructions were noticeable. Checking the building registers of 14 buildings in the area revealed that 10 of them had been illegally extended without permission. Among these, seven still maintain their extended structures. There was even one ‘unauthorized building’ that had never been reported.

Especially, restaurants and bars located right at the center of the accident site still bore traces of temporary booths installed during Halloween. These booths were a ‘trick’ by businesses to expand their operating space and maximize profits. As a result, the alleyways through which people passed became even narrower, accelerating the bottleneck effect during the tragedy. Originally, the World Food Culture Street typically has a width of over 5 meters, but due to these illegal terraces and others, the width was reduced to about 3 to 4 meters.

The approximately 10-meter-long pink metal partition wall at the lower end of the alley where the tragedy occurred was also identified as a cause that made passage difficult. This partition, built to enclose the outdoor air conditioning units of the Hamilton Hotel, narrowed the alleyway from a maximum width of 5 meters down to 3.2 meters as it descended.

A view of the alleys around Itaewon in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the Itaewon tragedy occurred. Air conditioner outdoor units occupy the roadside in various places, threatening pedestrian safety. (Photo by Ryu Taemin)

Other Alleys Also Filled with Illegal Buildings... Danger Still Lurks Everywhere

Just a few steps away from the alley next to the Hamilton Hotel where the accident occurred, narrower alleys were noticeable. The closest alley was steep and narrow, reminiscent of the accident site. Wooden planks, serving as terraces, were placed in front of buildings, obstructing passage. Businesses placing their goods outside further narrowed the road width that pedestrians should freely use.

The adjacent alley was in an even worse condition. Although originally designed to be over 3 meters wide, illegal building extensions and outdoor air conditioning units blocked the road, leaving only 2.5 meters of space for people to stand. An adult woman spreading her arms sideways would have very little space left. Moreover, the air conditioning units protruded like blades, making it easy to get injured at any moment.

A view of Itaewon World Food Culture Street in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Unlike the accident area, there are no illegal buildings blocking pedestrian paths, allowing citizens to move comfortably. (Photo by Ryu Taemin)

‘Clean Alley’ Free of Illegal Buildings... The Complete Opposite of the Accident Site

On the other hand, some alleys without illegal extensions or obstructions appeared relatively spacious. In the T-shaped alley east of the Hamilton Hotel where the accident occurred, only one out of ten buildings was an illegal construction. Unlike the accident site where temporary terraces blocked passage, there were no obstacles along the roadside, allowing citizens to move comfortably. The road width in this part of the World Food Culture Street was sufficiently secured at 5 to 6 meters, making it feel much more spacious.

Most of these buildings had been previously identified as illegal constructions but had rectified the violations by restoring the original state within a few months. A merchant operating a business here said, “After being caught for illegal extensions in the past, we realized the mistake and quickly corrected it. It won’t be easy, but if business owners make small compromises, the street could become much more pleasant.”

Even When Caught, Temporary Demolition and Repeated Unauthorized Extensions... Local Governments Say “Complete Crackdown Is Difficult”

Local governments say it is insufficient to crack down on all these illegal buildings. From the businesses’ perspective, it is often more profitable to maintain illegal extensions even if they have to pay fines, which has led to an increase in such cases. Additionally, there are institutional difficulties in enforcing strong administrative actions against illegal extensions, and many businesses temporarily demolish and then rebuild extensions repeatedly, making enforcement even more challenging.

A housing department official from Yongsan District Office said, “When illegal extensions are detected, instead of forcibly demolishing as before, we impose fines until corrective actions are taken according to Article 80 of the Building Act. The district office is not neglecting the issue.” He added, “Since administrative actions are taken according to the law, the district office faces difficulties in management. As safety becomes increasingly important in society, this incident should serve as an opportunity to improve the system, such as enabling stronger measures if corrective actions are not taken despite multiple fines.”

The Yongsan District Office also stated that follow-up actions on illegal extensions near the accident site are difficult to push strongly due to fairness issues inherent in the system. The housing department official said, “Rather than taking administrative actions, we plan to persuade building owners to voluntarily correct the issues. Taking new measures could imply that similar buildings in other areas could face forced demolition because of this accident. If fairness can be ensured, new measures through legal review could be possible.”

A view of the alley in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the accident occurred on the 29th of last month. The pink metal partition wall about 10 meters long (right side) is pointed out to have made passage difficult, increasing the damage. (Photo by Hwang Seoyul)

Obstacles Exploiting Legal Loopholes... Experts Say “Fixing Problems Is Key to Prevent Recurrence”

Obstacles that can reduce road width, such as outdoor air conditioning units, are not treated as buildings because they are not considered structures. According to Yongsan District Office, if such facilities are located within the property of the building, they are exempt from sanctions.

In fact, the pink metal partition wall installed next to the Hamilton Hotel, which narrowed the alley from about 4 meters to 3.2 meters, is considered not problematic by the local government. A building department official from Yongsan District Office explained, “This is considered a facility to block noise and heat from air conditioning units and is not treated as a building. Since this facility is within the hotel’s property and does not encroach on the road, it is not subject to sanctions.”

According to this logic, outdoor air conditioning units that reduce road width and threaten pedestrians in nearby alleys of the accident site cannot be sanctioned if they are installed within the building’s property. Professor Kim Kwanghyun of Seoul National University’s Department of Architecture said, “Facilities like air conditioning units that illegally occupy roads and obstruct passage are illegal. If these issues are not corrected, there is no guarantee that similar accidents won’t happen elsewhere.”

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