People walk through an empty but brightly lit alley in Itaewon, Seoul, Oct. 7. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Nearly two years have passed since a deadly crowd disaster during Halloween weekend shocked the world on Oct. 29, 2022. That traumatic event led to 159 deaths and left permanent scars in central Seoul's multicultural Itaewon area. As Halloween 2024 approaches, many are questioning whether the neighborhood will see a return to what was once one of the most vibrant and profitable weekends for local businesses.

Yet business owners and event organizers in the area said they are not yet prepared to resume Halloween celebrations as they did in the past.

"I think Halloween is naturally going to be slightly toned down for a while, particularly in Itaewon," Ali Zahoor, co-organizer of Seoul Drag Parade, said.

"Seoul Drag Parade has a couple of Halloween-themed shows planned," Heezy Yang, another co-organizer, added. "But we tried to choose dates and locations for them cautiously and respectfully, considering what happened in Itaewon."

Participants of the Seoul Drag Parade march past Itaewon Station in Seoul, Oct. 3. Ali Zahoor and Heezy Yang, who go by the drag names Ali Vera and Hurricane Kimchi, lead the way, flanked by police. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

While many anticipated that this year would mark a return to normalcy, as it eventually must, nobody interviewed by The Korea Times felt confident enough to assert that the time has come.

"I believe that a return to Halloween in some form is in order for Itaewon," said the owner of Lit Lounge, who is known by the name Pinnacle The Hustler. "However, not enough time has passed for us to fully embrace the blood, guts and gore of the holiday. We're still living in the shadow of the 2022 Halloween tragedy."

Pinnacle decided to host a Halloween costume party this year, but with some guardrails put in place in order to "stay away from the dark side of Halloween."

He encourages anyone planning to dress up for Halloween to choose light, fun costumes, such as video game or comic book characters like Sonic the Hedgehog or Sailor Moon, rather than zombies or demons.

"It would be beneficial for our Itaewon businesses and customers to use their creativity to highlight the brighter, more fun aspects of Halloween," he said. "One year I saw Tetris shapes walking around. They kept stopping to pose for pictures while they connected with each other — it was hilarious. This is the type of Halloween celebration we should be embracing."

Simon Walsh at Itaewon Pub had similar thoughts about avoiding the more macabre elements of Halloween this year.

"It could be seen as insensitive putting death-related displays up this time of year," he said. "You don't really want zombies or skeletons or murder or death hanging up in your bar during that night, I think, which is quite counterintuitive considering that's what Halloween always has been."

Simon Walsh poses outside Itaewon Pub, Seoul, Oct. 7. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

He said he expects the local government will issue guidelines for Halloween celebrations, including regulations on acceptable decorations, and he fully intends to comply with these guidelines.

"It hasn't been discussed yet because we're still a while away," he added, "but I imagine everybody is sort of waiting to see what everyone else does, and talk to the other bar owners — 'What are you planning on doing?'"

Last year, there was a widespread fear among foreign residents of Korea, as well as Itaewon business owners and anyone else who enjoys Halloween, about being singled out and made out to seem insensitive over Halloween.

Once again, Walsh acknowledged this fear is still a concern this year.

"Nobody wants to be in the media at the club," he said. "We know that the wounds are still sore with the families, and I'm sure the media are gonna be looking for somebody that's sticking out. And as a foreigner, I don't want to be sticking out. Even the Koreans don't want to stick out either."

Last year's Halloween seemed more like a showcase for effective crowd control, with police at times seeming to outnumber customers, and reporters hunting for images or footage of anyone dressed in an insensitive costume or acting inappropriately most likely walked away disappointed. Of the thin crowds that braved Itaewon's alleys, the mood was quiet and respectful, and very few Halloween costumes were seen.

"Was there Halloween in Itaewon last year?" Pinnacle asked. "I think I may have seen a couple of places celebrating the holiday, but I don't recall seeing many people in outfits or Halloween decorations occupying space in the clubs and bars in Itaewon."

Walsh said, "Last year, leading up to Halloween, it wasn't that busy and then Halloween itself was very quiet because people didn't want to come in, people didn't want to be here. But this year it looks like the buildup to Halloween is much bigger than what it was last year. The crowds have almost come back to what it looked like before the disaster happened."

He added that the police have established a large visible presence in Itaewon on the weekends.

"When I get down the main street after we close the bar at 5 a.m., there's a cop presence there every Friday and Saturday night," he said. "They're up just in front of the Hamilton Hotel, locking it off, controlling traffic. I think they've just decided they're gonna be there all the time to try and eliminate that risk."

The hotel is located next to the alley where the disaster happened.

A scooter drives through the alley in Itaewon, Seoul, where the crowd disaster took place two years ago, as two women sit outside a convenience store, Oct. 3. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

Itaewon Pub opened only earlier this year, but Walsh said he was working at another establishment nearby on the night of the disaster.

"We were only 50 meters away from the bodies when it was happening," he said. "I saw it all unfold and then by the time we cleaned up and left work, I think it was about 3 a.m., I went into the street and it resembled scenes from a disaster, reminiscent of Sept. 11."

He says he still bears the mental scars from what happened two years ago, and working in Itaewon presents him with daily reminders of that traumatic event.

"It's always in the back of your mind what happened down here," he said. "And when the crowds start to build up again, which they are now doing in the weekend, that's when it starts to come back. We start seeing the crowd grow again. You're like, 'Oh man, I don't know what will happen.'"

A memorial plinth to the Itaewon disaster shows unidentified stains, Oct. 3. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

But despite any consternations, these businesses in Itaewon are likely to stay open on Halloween. After all, they still need to make money.

"If Itaewon was a dessert in a coffee shop, we'd be called a struggle muffin," Pinnacle said. "This neighborhood has seen an increase of visitors since the tragedy, but our growth is still curbed by the memories of those that were unnecessarily lost in the back alleys of Itaewon. As members of the Itaewon community, we can still feel the weight of the grim overcast from two years ago. Thankfully, it's gotten lighter, but its presence is still felt on the hearts and minds of Itaewon's patrons. There is a lesson here, though: Even in the wake of death, we all still have a job to do, keep living."