![]() ![]() The crowded alleyway where most of the casualties occurred, shortly before the disaster (top), and the memorial (bottom) | |
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Date | 29 October 2022 |
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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]