Seoul police step up crowd safety measures for Halloween

SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Yonhap) -- Police will step up crowd safety measures in major nightlife districts across Seoul for Halloween festivities next week, officials said Friday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) said it will operate a special safety management period from Friday to Nov. 1. During this period, 4,594 police personnel -- including 30 riot police units, 120 regional patrol teams, 120 special task force members, 99 detectives and 765 traffic police -- will be deployed to Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu, Myeongdong and Ikseon-dong, where large crowds are expected to gather.

The heightened safety measures come as Seoul prepares for its fourth Halloween since the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, a tragic incident that claimed 159 lives in a narrow alleyway in the popular nightlife neighborhood.

From Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, police will closely manage traffic control in collaboration with local district governments, restricting vehicle access in phases based on crowd density.

In major crowd gathering areas like Itaewon and Hongdae, police will also carry out preventive patrols to ease public anxiety caused by a recent series of stabbing rampages.

"We will do our utmost for safety management on the ground, focusing on crowd-dense places so that people can feel at ease," a police official said. "To prevent people from feeling anxious, please refrain from carrying or wearing props such as guns, knives or police uniforms for costume play purposes."

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