Diplomatic missions in Korea scramble to make contact with citizens after Itaewon crush

Diplomatic missions in Korea struggled to make contact with their nationals caught up in the deadly crowd crush that occurred late Saturday night during Halloween festivities in Itaewon as the Interior Ministry confirmed 20 foreigners were killed.

A photo uploaded to a Chinese survivor's Weibo account shows her position, marked by the red circle, within the crowd crush that occurred in the alley next to the Hamilton Hotel in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Saturday night. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Diplomatic missions in Korea struggled to make contact with their nationals caught up in the deadly crowd crush that occurred late Saturday night during Halloween festivities in Itaewon as the Interior Ministry confirmed 20 foreigners had been killed.

The area, which first developed as a strip of bars, nightclubs and shops catering to U.S. soldiers based at the nearby Yongsan Garrison, emerged in recent decades as a nightlife hub and tourist destination for visitors from across Korea and other countries, especially those drawn to its relaxed and progressive atmosphere.

The 20 foreigners confirmed dead among the 153 killed in the crowd crush that unfolded in the sloping alley on the western side of the Hamilton Hotel included four Chinese, four Iranians, three Russians, one American, one Australian, one Vietnamese, one Uzbek, one Norwegian, one Kazakh, one Sri Lankan, one Thai and one Austrian, according to Yonhap.

An Interior Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the number of the foreign dead, but declined to confirm their nationalities.

The Chinese embassy in South Korea confirmed through its official WeChat account on Sunday that at least three Chinese citizens died in the episode. The embassy also warned Chinese nationals against visiting crowded areas and accepting unfamiliar candy or beverages.

An official from the Uzbek embassy, who described the incident as “truly horrific,” confirmed that “one citizen of Uzbekistan died as a result of the Itaewon crowd crush,” adding that the embassy “expresses condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured as a result of the tragic events.”

At least one embassy said that it had difficulty contacting police to determine whether their citizens were among the dead or injured because phone lines were fully occupied from Saturday night until early Sunday.

Thirty-three year-old Venezuelan resident Antonio Bompart, a model who frequently appears on Korean talk shows featuring foreign residents, arrived at 10:50 p.m. with a Colombian at the northern end of the alley where the crowd crush occurred. Bompart said the Venezuelan embassy asked him if he knew of any Venezuelan nationals who were possibly caught up in the crush.

Condolences over the tragedy have poured in from embassies in Seoul and world leaders.

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden offered their “deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones in Seoul,” while British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “all our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans” on Sunday morning.

French President Emmanuel Macron offered “compassionate thoughts” and the support of his country in response to the tragedy, while Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed “shock” and extended “deep condolences” to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol over the tragedy.

In addition to condolences, diplomatic missions in Seoul have also urged their nationals to reach out for assistance through consular hotlines and to update their social media posts to alert friends and family at home of their current status.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]