Halloween prep turns eerily quiet as Seoul remembers Itaewon crowd crush

The once-vibrant Halloween festivities featuring carved pumpkins and ghost motifs have been nearly invisible in Korea as people and retailers choose to keep a low profile in remembrance of the nightmarish crowd crush in Itaewon last year.

A citizen leaves a tribute message in Itaewon, central Seoul, on Sunday, where a crowd crush during Halloween festivities on Oct. 29 killed 159 people. [YONHAP]

The once-vibrant Halloween festivities featuring carved pumpkins and ghost motifs have been nearly invisible in Korea as people and retailers choose to keep a low profile in remembrance of the nightmarish crowd crush in Itaewon last year.

Around this time last year, the streets — especially in downtown areas like Itaewon, Myeong-dong and Hongdae — were blanketed with the products and events linked with Halloween, but such sights are scant this year.

Major retailers including Lotte and Shinsegae say that they are not planning any Halloween-related promotions due to public concerns and criticism about the safety of large gatherings in light of the tragic accident that took 159 lives.

Instead, the industry has chosen to voluntarily relinquish its hold on Halloween celebrations. This decision has affected a wide range of sectors, including department stores, convenience stores, cafes and theme parks, despite seeing sales increase by 20 to 30 percent each year from Halloween-related goods or events.

Department stores like Lotte, Shinsegae and Hyundai, which used to adorn their stores with Halloween decorations and set up pop-up booths in department stores, decided not to hold Halloween-related events. Instead, they will roll out big back-to-back sales events in November.

Large supermarket chains such as Emart, Lotte Mart and Homeplus, which previously featured dedicated Halloween sections and offered discounts, are scaling back their Halloween products and refraining from separate marketing and events.

Convenience stores like GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, and Emart24 are not launching Halloween-specific products this year and have no plans for related events. Instead, the industry is shifting its focus to other upcoming events like Pepero Day on Nov. 11, Christmas and year-end promotions.

Even the food and beverage industry, which used to offer seasonal limited-time Halloween-themed beverages and desserts, is opting not to introduce any dedicated products this year.

"Following the accident last year, we promptly removed all Halloween-themed products and decorations from our stores the next day, and we're continuing with the same approach this year," a Starbucks spokesperson said.

Pumpkin basket dolls and Halloween patterned capes prepared by Shinsegae Department Store in collaboration with Everland for last year's Halloween. Korean retailers have decided not to engage in Halloween-related marketing this year following the crowd crush at Itaewon where 159 were killed while celebrating Halloween on Oct. 29. [NEWS1]

Instead of Itaewon — which had become a hub for Halloween due to its significant foreign population — large amusement parks had been setting up with horror-themed spaces and conducts zombie performances starting in September, attracting young and family visitors. But this year, Everland is celebrating a harvest festival, Lotte World has embraced a webtoon theme and Seoul Land has organized an Oktoberfest. Even the global theme park, Legoland Korea, has decided to scale down its autumn festival and eliminate the Halloween theme, unlike other Legolands around the world.

"Theme parks are more than just places for product promotion — we involve extensive planning of performances, typically starting around six months in advance," said a spokesperson from Lotte World. "We made the decision to cancel Halloween events last year."

The shift in Korea's approach to Halloween is not limited to the commercial and retail sectors.

The jurisdiction of Yongsan District, which includes the area of Itaewon where the tragic accident occurred, decided to cancel its annual 'Global Village Festival' this year which traditionally took place about two weeks before Halloween. While it is separate from Halloween celebrations, featuring international food booths and performances, it will not be held this year due to the district's consideration of public sentiment.

"Until the first half of this year, we were monitoring the situation and devising plans for the festival," said an official from Yongsan District. "While our initial objective was to contribute to the economic recovery of the region and support local residents and businesses, we have, for emotional reasons, opted for its cancellation. Additionally, there are ongoing efforts to curtail Halloween-related events in the tourism district where the incident took place."

Korean English kindergartens and academies have been spotted canceling Halloween parties and replacing them with Thanksgiving festivities.

Throughout such transition, there is also consensus that prioritizing safety in festivals is of paramount importance.

"Halloween should not be held responsible for the tragic accident, neither as its cause nor its fundamental nature. Those who partake in these festivities bear no culpability," the association of the Itaewon victims' families said in a press conference on Monday in front of Seoul City Hall, near where the memorial altar for the victims is set up. "We will not tolerate those who disregard safety and will raise voices to move toward a society where festivals can be enjoyed safely."

BY SEO JI-EUN,KIM JU-YEON [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]