October 29, 2022 – On Saturday night, at least 151 people (highschool teenagers and adults in their 20s) were killed in a Halloween crowd stampede in Itaewon, South Korea. 

This year in South Korea is special because the strict COVID quarantine guidelines were lifted. As a consequence, tens of thousands of civilians took the streets to celebrate one of the most festive and entertaining holidays: Halloween. 

Although the primary cause of this disaster is still to be found, officials believe that one of the leading causes of this massacre was congestion. As people filled the streets, the narrow alleys became extremely crowded: people were pushed and pulled. As a result, individuals began to pass out one by one in their costumes, getting buried by the stampede. 

President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea has declared this disaster a national emergency, and shared that the country will provide funerals for all the victims of the tragedy. 

Additionally, the South Korean government has called a mourning period that will last until November 5th. During this mourning period, civil servants and employees of public institutions will wear ribbons to express their condolences, and all public institutions and diplomatic offices will fly flags at half staff. 

At a global level, various leaders have reached out to share words of condolences with all of South Korea. President Biden commented, “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.”