  The crowded alleyway where most of the casualties occurred, shortly before the disaster (top), and the memorial (bottom) | |
 | |
| Date | 29 October 2022 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 22:15 KST (UTC+9) |
| Location | Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
| Coordinates | 37°32′05″N 126°59′36″E / 37.53472°N 126.99333°E |
| Type | Crowd crush |
| Cause | Lack of safety precautions and other police errors |
| Deaths | 159[1] |
| Non-fatal injuries | 197 |
Around 22:20 on 29 October 2022, a crowd surge occurred during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea. According to the South Korean government, 159 people were killed and 196 others were injured. The death toll includes two people who died after the crush. The victims were mostly young adults; 27 of the victims were foreign nationals.
The crowd crush is the deadliest disaster in South Korea since the sinking of MV Sewol in 2014 and the largest mass casualty incident in Seoul since the Sampoong Department Store collapse in 1995.[2][3] It is the deadliest crowd crush in the country's history, surpassing a 1959 incident at the Busan Municipal Stadium in which 67 people were crushed to death.[4]
A special police team conducted an investigation of the disaster within a few days of it occurring, and concluded on 13 January 2023 that the police and governments' failure to adequately prepare for the crowds, despite a number of ignored warnings, was the cause of the incident.
Following the disaster and throughout the investigation, the government and police faced widespread criticism and protest. President Yoon Suk Yeol and his administration faced a number of protests that demanded his resignation, although he did not resign. Initially, the President accepted some responsibility for the event but later retracted the statement and deflected responsibility.[5]
- ^ "Death toll from Itaewon crush rises to 158". 14 November 2022. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (29 October 2022). "The Itaewon tragedy is the worst peacetime disaster in South Korea since the Sewol ferry sank in 2014, killing more than 300 people". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ Myung-il, K. (30 October 2022). 이태원 참사, 세월호 이후 최다 인명피해 [Itaewon disaster, the largest number of casualties since the Sewol ferry] (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Chronology of major stampedes in S. Korea". Yonhap News Agency. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "Pressure weighs on Yoon over accountability in Itaewon tragedy". The Korea Times. 6 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.