# South Korean Halloween crowd safety measures

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-halloween-crowd-safety-measures
> Updated: 2026-11-03T00:08:26.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 4.

South Korean authorities implemented large scale police deployments to manage public safety during the Halloween period. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency designated a special safety management period from October 23 to November 1, deploying 4,594 personnel to high density areas including Itaewon, Hongdae, Myeongdong, Seongsu, and Ikseon-dong. By October 31, the operation increased to approximately 7,800 officers across 28 major management areas nationwide.

Real time urban data showed significant population surges, with the Hongdae tourism special zone peaking at approximately 130,000 people and the Itaewon zone seeing between 30,000 and 32,000 visitors. To manage congestion, vehicle traffic in Itaewon was restricted starting at 6:00 PM between the Itaewon 119 Safety Center and Noksapyeong Plaza. 

Subway ridership data from Seoul Metro indicated a significant increase at 11 major stations during the Halloween weekend, with a total of 697,844 passengers using these stations between 6:00 PM and midnight, a 17.5% increase from the previous week. On Saturday, October 31, ridership peaked at 356,364. Hongik University Station recorded 94,040 passengers, while Itaewon Station saw 38,953 riders, approximately 2.4 times the volume of the previous Saturday. To manage these crowds, authorities utilized 361 CCTV cameras for real time monitoring and advised citizens to use Noksapyeong or Hangangjin stations to avoid Itaewon Station. While some bottlenecks occurred in narrow alleys, no major incidents were reported.

## Timeline

### 2026-11-03: Seoul subway ridership surges during Halloween weekend

Seoul subway ridership rose 17.5% during the Halloween weekend, with Itaewon Station seeing 2.4 times more passengers than the previous week. Authorities implemented safety measures to manage crowds.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/seoul-subway-ridership-surges-during-halloween-weekend

### 2026-10-31: Seoul police deploy armored vehicles and 7,800 officers for Halloween

Police deployed 7,800 officers and armored vehicles to Itaewon, Seoul, to manage Halloween crowds and ensure safety during the first weekend-aligned Halloween since the 2022 tragedy.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/seoul-police-deploy-armored-vehicles-and-7800-officers-for-halloween

### 2026-10-31: Seoul crowds surge in Itaewon and Hongdae for Halloween

Massive crowds of up to 130,000 gathered in Seoul's Hongdae and 30,000 in Itaewon for Halloween, prompting proactive police controls and subway service adjustments to ensure public safety.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/seoul-crowds-surge-in-itaewon-and-hongdae-for-halloween

### 2026-10-23: Seoul Police deploy 4,594 officers for Halloween crowd control

Seoul police are deploying over 4,500 officers to major districts like Itaewon and Hongdae for Halloween safety, implementing strict crowd control and tiered traffic restrictions through November 1.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/seoul-authorities-launch-safety-inspections-in-itaewon-ahead-of-halloween

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Cite as: South Korean Halloween crowd safety measures. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-halloween-crowd-safety-measures