Seoul Metropolitan Council People Power Party Proposes "Seoul Special City Multi-Gathering Event Safety Management Ordinance"

To Prevent a Second Itaewon Incident, All 76 People Power Party Members of Seoul Metropolitan Council Jointly Propose... Seoul Mayor to Mandate Safety Management for Events Without Organizers

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Council’s People Power Party (Representative Assemblyman Ho-jung Choi ·photo) announced that all 76 members will jointly propose the "Seoul Metropolitan City Ordinance on Safety Management of Mass Gatherings (Draft)" to prevent and avoid recurrence of the Itaewon accident.

The draft ordinance on safety management of mass gatherings in Seoul Metropolitan City specifies safety management measures for mass gatherings without organizers or sponsors. It aims to ensure thorough safety management measures even for local festivals and events promoted by citizens’ voluntary participation, thereby protecting citizens’ lives and safety from various safety accidents.

The existing "Outdoor Event Safety Management Ordinance" only stipulates safety management when the organizer, such as Seoul City, is clearly identified, thus excluding mass gatherings with unknown organizers.

In light of the urgent need to enact an ordinance for safety management of events without organizers, such as the recent Itaewon accident, 76 People Power Party assembly members have jointly proposed this ordinance.

Article 5 of the ordinance requires that for mass gatherings where ▲ the expected number of attendees per day is 50,000 or more and the event location and content may change frequently, or ▲ the expected number of attendees per day is 100,000 or more, the Mayor of Seoul must consult in advance with related safety management agencies such as the Chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and district mayors to mandatorily establish a safety management plan.

The safety management plan must include the event details, safety management measures for risk factors in and around the mass gathering area, securing and deployment plans for safety personnel, emergency traffic plans, and the operational status of safety management personnel at multi-use facilities.

Article 6 specifies that the mayor may request the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Agency to prohibit or restrict pedestrian and vehicle traffic and may ask subway operators to allow non-stop passage of trains. It also establishes a basis for promptly setting up a disaster safety countermeasures headquarters in case of accidents or disasters caused by mass gatherings.

Additionally, Article 8 regulates prohibitions and restrictions on passage. Considering standards such as crowd density calculation methods, spatial capacity, and crowd flow time, it allows designation of specific times, areas, and methods to prohibit or restrict passage.

Ho-jung Choi, representative assemblyman of the People Power Party, said, “A tragic incident occurred on the night of the 29th, resulting in many deaths and injuries. I offer my condolences to the deceased and their bereaved families who are deeply grieving, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. I also deeply apologize to the citizens of Seoul who have been greatly shocked.”

He continued, “There must be no recurrence of a second or third Itaewon accident. Enacting this ordinance is not the end. All of us in the People Power Party will do everything possible to protect the lives, property, and safety of our citizens.”

Seoul Metropolitan City Ordinance No.

Ordinance on Safety Management of Mass Gatherings in Seoul Metropolitan City (Draft)

Article 1 (Purpose) This ordinance aims to contribute to securing citizens’ safety by stipulating necessary matters for accident prevention and safety management at mass gatherings within Seoul Metropolitan City pursuant to the "Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety".

Article 2 (Definitions) The terms used in this ordinance are defined as follows:

1. “Mass gathering event” means a case where an unspecified large number of people gather at a specific place and which is not subject to safety management plan establishment under the "Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety".

2. “Safety management” means all acts to protect citizens’ lives, bodies, and property from various accidents that may occur due to mass gathering events.

3. “Multi-use facility” means places used by an unspecified large number of people such as restrooms, bathhouses or bathing rooms or sweating rooms, breastfeeding facilities, and changing rooms.

Article 3 (Relation to Other Laws or Ordinances) Unless otherwise specified in other laws or ordinances regarding safety management of mass gatherings, this ordinance shall apply.

Article 4 (Responsibilities) The Mayor of Seoul (hereinafter referred to as “Mayor”) shall endeavor to prevent various accidents and minimize damage in case of occurrence through safety management of mass gatherings held in Seoul Metropolitan City.

Article 5 (Safety Management Plan) ① When a mass gathering event is expected to fall under any of the following, the Mayor shall consult in advance with the Chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (hereinafter referred to as “Chief of Police”) and district mayors and establish a safety management plan.

1. Events where the expected number of attendees per day is 50,000 or more and the event location and content are expected to change frequently

2. Events where the expected number of attendees per day is 100,000 or more

② The safety management plan under paragraph 1 shall include the following:

1. Event details (date, location, peak instantaneous attendance or capacity, etc.)

2. Safety management measures for risk factors in and around the mass gathering area

3. Plans for securing and deploying safety management personnel

4. Emergency response procedures, contact information of responsible agencies and persons

5. Emergency traffic plans (mobilization and control of subway, buses)

6. Parking lot capacity and expected parking volume

7. Operational status of safety management personnel at multi-use facilities

8. Conditions for installation and operation of command centers such as traffic and communication

9. Other necessary matters for safety management of mass gatherings

③ The Mayor shall obtain prior review from the Seoul Metropolitan Safety Management Committee established and operated under Article 6 of the "Seoul Metropolitan City Disaster and Safety Management Basic Ordinance" to ensure smooth implementation of the safety management plan.

Article 6 (Measures) ① When it is necessary to restrict or prohibit pedestrian or vehicle traffic due to a mass gathering event or when traffic disruption is anticipated, the Mayor shall notify the Chief of Police.

② The Mayor may request support for safety management from the Chief of Police for safety management of mass gatherings.

③ The Mayor may request subway operators under the "Urban Railway Act" to take necessary measures such as non-stop passage to prevent accidents or disasters caused by mass gatherings.

Article 7 (On-site Response) The Mayor may request the Chief of Police to establish a command center at the jurisdictional police station or on-site during mass gatherings to enable activities such as guidance, calling, induction, and warnings using equipment like microphones and loudspeakers.

Article 8 (Prohibition and Restriction of Passage) ① The Mayor may request the Chief of Police to designate specific times, areas, and methods to prohibit or restrict pedestrian and vehicle traffic during mass gatherings, considering standards such as crowd density calculation methods, spatial capacity, and crowd flow time as specified in the attached table.

② The Mayor shall cooperate when the Chief of Police implements measures to prohibit or restrict passage under paragraph 1.

Article 9 (Response to Accidents) ① The Mayor shall establish a disaster safety countermeasures headquarters pursuant to the "Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety" and the "Seoul Metropolitan City Disaster and Safety Management Basic Ordinance" to comprehensively coordinate and take necessary measures for accident and disaster recovery caused by mass gatherings.

② The Emergency Rescue Control Chief shall conduct emergency rescue activities in case of accidents or disasters caused by mass gatherings pursuant to Article 46 of the "Seoul Metropolitan City Disaster and Safety Management Basic Ordinance".

Article 10 (Enforcement Rules) Matters necessary for the enforcement of this ordinance shall be prescribed by rules.

Supplementary Provisions

This ordinance shall take effect from the date of promulgation.

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