Content warning: The following article contains mentions of death and violence.
At least 156 people were killed and 151 injured in a crowd crush in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 29. Circulated videos of the tragedy show high density crowds pushing into the tight quarters of Itaewon.
The gathering marked the first of its kind since the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, and an estimated 100,000 people were in attendance. Most of those who died were in their twenties and among the victims are 26 foreign nationals. This is Korea’s worst peacetime disaster since the Sewol ferry sank in 2014.
Given Itaewon is a popular nightlife district for college students, the incident particularly struck a chord with Korean international students at Princeton.
“I have spent much time in Itaewon myself over the summer,” Wonju Lee ’26 told The Daily Princetonian. “If I were in Korea at this time of the year, I probably would have attended one of these Halloween celebrations at Itaewon. This tragedy could have happened to [anyone].”
There were also some members of the community who knew people present at the event personally. Kate Park ’26 had multiple friends who went to the streets of Itaewon when the incident happened.
“Fortunately, [they were] safe and [are] back home but to think that it could be anyone, from myself to my friends, is truly heartbreaking,” she said.
As the number of victims continued to rise, discourse over who should be held accountable surged on Korean media. Some blame the government and authority figures for not stationing enough patrol forces in place.
“I’ve personally experienced a lack of crowd control in the Itaewon area but never fully acknowledged the absolute dangers of it,” Hannah Jo ’26 said. “I really hope that this tragedy serves as a sobering reminder of how public safety should prevail over individual indulgence.”
Isaac Yi ’24, President of the Korean Student Association of Princeton (KSAP), noted the gravity of the situation in an email to the ‘Prince,‘ writing, “It is truly tragic that a celebration meant to be a good time by dressing up and having fun turned into a night of loss and mourning.”
Yi said that he worries the incident may lead to further exacerbation of tensions between older and younger generations and that “[i]t is important to be aware of this generational gap moving forward.”
“With such a horrible incident, I am afraid this will inevitably reinforce the older generations’ reception of international influence,” he wrote.
In response to the incident, KSAP will be putting up posters in Frist Campus Center. Anyone who wishes to share their thoughts can anonymously contact KSAP and get additional support through the information provided on these posters.
Students can also find more information on mental health resources on the University Health Services (UHS) website.
Correction: A previous version of this article referred to the incident as a stampede. In fact, it was a crowd crush.
Jessica Choe is a News Contributor at the ‘Prince.’
Jocelyne Wijaya is a News Contributor at the ‘Prince.’
Please direct any corrections requests to corrections@dailyprincetonian.com.
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