When will Halloween return to normal in Itaewon?

People walk through an empty but well-lit alley in Itaewon, Seoul, October 7. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Business owners say probably not this year

By Jon Dunbar

Nearly two years have passed since a deadly disaster during Halloween weekend shocked the world on October 29, 2022. This traumatic event led to 159 deaths and left permanent scars in the multicultural Itaewon area of ​​central Seoul. As Halloween 2024 approaches, many question whether the neighborhood will see a return to what was once one of the most vibrant and profitable weekends for local businesses.

However, business owners and event organizers in the area said they are not yet ready to resume Halloween celebrations as they have in the past.

“I think Halloween will naturally be a little toned down for a while, especially in Itaewon,” said Ali Zahoor, co-organizer of the Seoul Drag Parade.

“Seoul Drag Parade has some Halloween-themed shows planned,” added Heezy Yang, another co-organizer. “But we tried to choose dates and locations for them cautiously and respectfully, considering what happened in Itaewon.”

Seoul Drag Parade participants march through Itaewon Station in Seoul on October 3. Ali Zahoor and Heezy Yang, who go by the drag names Ali Vera and Hurricane Kimchi, lead the way, flanked by police. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Although many anticipated that this year would mark a return to normality, as it eventually will, no one interviewed by The Korea Times felt confident enough to say that the time has come.

“I believe a return to Halloween in some form is fitting for Itaewon,” said the Lit Lounge owner, who goes by the name Pinnacle The Hustler. “However, not enough time has passed for us to fully embrace the blood, guts and gore of the holiday. We are still living in the shadow of the tragedy of Halloween 2022.”

Pinnacle decided to host a Halloween costume party this year, but with some guardrails installed to “stay away from the dark side of Halloween.”

He encourages anyone planning to dress up for Halloween to choose light, fun costumes, like video game or comic book characters like Sonic the Hedgehog or Sailor Moon, rather than zombies or demons.

“It would be beneficial for our Itaewon businesses and customers to use their creativity to highlight the brightest and most fun aspects of Halloween,” he said. “One year I saw Tetris shapes walking around. They stopped to pose for photos as they connected — it was hilarious. This is the kind of Halloween celebration we should embrace.”

Itaewon Pub’s Simon Walsh had similar thoughts about avoiding the more macabre elements of Halloween this year.

“It could be seen as insensitive to put up death-related displays at this time of year,” he said. “You really don’t want zombies or skeletons or murder or death hanging in your bar that night, I guess, which is pretty counterintuitive considering that’s how Halloween has always been.”

Simon Walsh poses outside Itaewon Pub, Seoul, October 7. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

He said he expects the local government to issue guidelines for Halloween celebrations, including regulations on acceptable decorations, and intends to fully comply with those guidelines.

“It hasn’t been discussed yet because it’s still a while away,” he added, “but I imagine everyone is waiting to see what everyone does and talk to the other bar owners – ‘What are you planning? in doing?'”

Last year, there was widespread fear among foreign residents of Korea, as well as Itaewon business owners and anyone else who enjoys Halloween, of being singled out and considered insensitive during Halloween.

Again, Walsh acknowledged that this fear is still a concern this year.

“No one wants to appear in the club’s media,” he said. “We know the wounds are still raw in the families and I’m sure the media will be looking for someone who stands out. And as a foreigner, I don’t want to be left out. I don’t want to stand out either.”

Last year’s Halloween seemed more like a showcase for effective crowd control, with police sometimes appearing to outnumber patrons, and reporters looking for images or footage of someone dressed in an insensitive costume or acting inappropriately likely they left disappointed. Of the few crowds that lined Itaewon’s alleys, the mood was calm and respectful, and very few Halloween costumes were seen.

“Was there Halloween in Itaewon last year?” Spire asked. “I think I’ve seen a few places celebrating the holiday, but I don’t remember seeing many people dressed up or with Halloween decorations taking up space in Itaewon’s clubs and bars.”

Walsh said: “Last year, before Halloween, it wasn’t that busy and then Halloween itself was very quiet because people didn’t want to come in, people didn’t want to be here. But this year it feels like the lead up to Halloween is much larger than last year. The crowds are almost back to what they were before the disaster happened.

He added that police have established a large visible presence in Itaewon on weekends.

“When I get to Main Street, after we close the bar at 5 a.m., there is a police presence there every Friday and Saturday night,” he said. “They’re right in front of the Hamilton Hotel, locking it down, controlling traffic. I think they’ve just decided they’re going to be there all the time to try to eliminate that risk.”

The hotel is located next to the alley where the disaster occurred.

A scooter passes through the alley in Itaewon, Seoul, where the mob disaster occurred two years ago, as two women sit outside a convenience store, October 3. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Itaewon Pub only opened earlier this year, but Walsh said he was working at another nearby establishment the night of the disaster.

“We were only 50 meters away from the bodies when it happened,” he said. “I watched it all unfold and then when we cleaned up and got off work, I think it was about 3 a.m., I went out into the street and it looked like scenes from a disaster, reminiscent of 9/11.”

He says he still carries the mental scars of what happened two years ago, and working in Itaewon brings him daily memories of that traumatic event.

“It’s always in the back of your mind what happened here,” he said. “And when the crowds start to build again, which is happening now on the weekend, that’s when it starts to come back. We started to see the crowd grow again. what’s going to happen.'”

A memorial pedestal to the Itaewon disaster shows unidentified stains, October 3. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

But despite any consternation, these businesses in Itaewon are likely to remain open on Halloween. After all, they still need to make money.

“If Itaewon was a dessert in a coffee shop, we would be called a fighting muffin,” Pinnacle said. “This neighborhood has seen an increase in visitors since the tragedy, but our growth is still constrained by the memories of those who got needlessly lost in the alleys of Itaewon. As members of the Itaewon community, we can still feel the weight of the gloomy darkness of two years ago, fortunately, it has become lighter, but its presence is still felt in the hearts and minds of Itaewon customers. However, there is a lesson here: even after death, we all still have work to do. do it, keep living.”