Yongsan District Implements Four-Stage Crowd Management for a Safe Halloween in Itaewon

Real-Time Congestion Response Using CCTV and Smart Maps
1,300 Safety Personnel Deployed On-Site

Yongsan District in Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) will implement the "2025 Halloween Day Safety Management Plan," centered on a "four-stage crowd congestion management system," to ensure public safety in the Itaewon area during Halloween.

Yongsan District Safety Management Committee meeting scene. Provided by Yongsan District.

The district has designated the period from October 24 to November 2 as a special countermeasure period and will focus all efforts on crowd safety management in the Itaewon area. Approximately 130,000 visitors are expected during this time.

According to the revised Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management, even if there is no official event organizer, the head of the local government must take direct safety measures if crowds are expected to gather. These measures include recommending crowd dispersal and requesting police cooperation.

In response, since September, Yongsan District has completed the safety management plan through three rounds of consultations with the Yongsan Police Station, Yongsan Fire Station, Seoul Metro, the 3537th Army Unit, and the Itaewon Merchants Volunteer Corps. This plan will deploy more than 1,300 personnel and 45 intelligent closed-circuit television (CCTV) locations (a total of 141 cameras and 27 emergency bells).

The core of the plan is the "four-stage crowd congestion criteria." Crowd density is divided into four levels: smooth pedestrian flow, caution, congestion, and severe congestion. Real-time data will be used to analyze and respond to on-site conditions.

At the "caution" stage, right-side walking will be encouraged in certain sections. At the "congestion" stage, Itaewon Station entrances and exits will be separated by direction to control the flow of people. At the "severe congestion" stage, strong measures such as sending emergency text alerts, recommending crowd dispersal, and having trains pass through Itaewon Station without stopping will be considered.

The joint situation room near World Food Street will immediately implement stage-specific measures by analyzing CCTV data, smart maps, and subway passenger disembarkation information. In addition, preemptive actions such as crackdowns on illegal street vendors, the removal of obstacles, and enforcement against illegal parking are being carried out. Since October 13, the district has operated a joint inspection team with relevant agencies to eliminate potential hazards along Itaewon-ro.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan District, stated, "This plan is a scientific and systematic response model to protect the safety of citizens," and added, "This year, all district office staff will do their utmost to ensure that not a single accident occurs during Halloween."

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