Congestion Following Pro and Anti-Impeachment Rallies... Ministry of the Interior Strengthens Crowd Safety Management

by Lee Jieun

Published 28 Dec.2024 16:19(KST)

Following the proclamation of the '12·3 Emergency Martial Law,' pro- and anti-impeachment rallies have continued around Gwanghwamun in Seoul, prompting the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to devise crowd safety management measures within subway stations.

On the 28th, the Ministry announced that it will strengthen crowd monitoring in cooperation with local governments, police, fire departments, and other related agencies, and implement crowd safety management measures such as non-stop train passage when stations become congested.

On the afternoon of the 14th, in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul, conservative groups including the National Movement Headquarters for Correcting the Republic of Korea (Daegukbon) held the "National Revolution Rally to Protect Free Korea." Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Ministry, the number of users at Anguk Station in Seoul increased by 168.4% compared to the previous week, from 48,363 on the weekend of the 14th to 81,462 on the 21st. At Gwanghwamun Station, the number rose by 129.7%, from 75,878 to 98,426.

Accordingly, on weekends, on-site situation managers will be dispatched to Gwanghwamun and Anguk Stations to remove obstacles hindering pedestrian flow and deploy safety personnel as part of safety management measures.

Additionally, to enable rapid response on-site, an emergency communication network such as the Public Safety LTE (PS-LTE) will be established, and real-time urban data will be utilized as an auxiliary means to monitor signs of crowd congestion.

Lee Han-kyung, Director of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "Subway stations are narrow spaces where sudden crowding can pose a risk of safety accidents. We will do our best to prevent crowd accidents by managing congestion within subway stations in cooperation with related agencies."