City designates Oct. 30–Nov. 1 as intensive management period for Seobyeon, Gwangalli and Haeundae

Busan city officials conduct a safety inspection on Seobyeon's Youth Street ahead of last year's Halloween. [Busan city government]
Busan city officials conduct a safety inspection on Seobyeon's Youth Street ahead of last year's Halloween. [Busan city government]

On the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush, Busan is stepping up preparations for Halloween crowd surges expected Friday.

The city announced Thursday that it has been running a special safety management period from Friday of last week through Sunday, deploying enhanced crowd control measures ahead of and following Halloween at major entertainment districts, including Seobyeon.

The city has designated Friday through Sunday as an intensive management period, focusing on three locations: Busanjin-gu's Youth Street in Seobyeon, Suyeong-gu's Millak the Market and beach in Gwangalli, and the foreign club district along Gunam-ro in Haeundae-gu.

Drawing on each district's safety management plan, the city will inspect expected crowd-dense areas and pedestrian routes, and implement crowd dispersal and control measures suited to on-site conditions. A central situation room and on-site situation rooms at each target location will operate throughout the special management period, with CCTV and a crowd management support system used for real-time monitoring. Should a disaster occur, the city plans to activate its disaster and safety response headquarters.

Pre-event joint inspections and on-site patrols will be conducted to identify hazards, including checks of narrow alleys, slopes, ventilation grates and manhole covers, as well as removal of obstructions such as illegally parked vehicles, stored goods and signboards.

Police will strengthen patrols and on-site order maintenance, while the fire department will conduct preventive patrols and position emergency response units nearby for rapid rescue and medical response. Busan Transportation Corporation will inspect safety facilities and congestion levels at Seobyeon, Gwangan and Haeundae stations, and take safety measures — including route separation and phased entry controls — based on conditions at each site.

"We will work closely with relevant agencies to ensure there are no gaps in safety management, even for spontaneous gatherings without an organizer, and do our utmost to respond on the ground," said Lee Byeong-seok, the city's director of public safety, urging residents and visitors to cooperate.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com