I was in Itaewon last night when what was supposed to be a joyous party turned into horror. Many people are still trying to process what happened.
Like many others, I was excited to finally meet friends and spend the night with them. Several members of our group had flown in over the weekend as the borders had recently reopened.
After more than two years of Covid restrictions, we finally had an excuse to get together. Itaewon in particular has suffered greatly as a result of being one of the sites of an early Covid outbreak that brought the area to its knees.
When we arrived at the area at around 19:00 local time, it was clear that there were already many people. Subway doors burst open as revelers, many of whom were dressed in costumes, streamed out of Itaewon Station.
Subway employees were trying to usher in people who were piling up at the ticket booths. It was already chaos outside. I couldn’t move.
Our meeting place was a minute’s walk from the station, but it took us over 10 minutes to get there, passing through crowds and pop-up makeup booths offering Halloween makeovers.
People were already spilling onto the congested roads. There was no more room on the sidewalks of the main road. I don’t recall seeing any crowd control.
It was obvious that something terrible had just happened
Itaewon is mainly one long road running from east to west, centered on the station in the middle, with the Hamilton Hotel above. Many bars and clubs line a street parallel to the main street, accessible only through a series of narrow alleyways.
We arrived at our destination, which was full of music, food and performances. The plan was to go for second rounds, maybe at a nearby bar. But, as before, we couldn’t move. Outside, it was a block.
It’s all too common to find yourself crammed into a club in Itaewon and unable to move. Except that seemed to be the case last night on the streets too. So we decided to take the subway to a quieter place. The time was 10:30 p.m.
We started back to the station. Many were forced to walk on the road. I’ve seen Itaewon busy, but never like this. Then we started hearing the firemen. They could barely move.
A situation was developing near Itaewon Station, in front of the Hamilton Hotel. A fire truck and an ambulance had already arrived, and two police officers stood on top of their police car, begging people to leave.
People were fleeing the area. The music continued to play from all directions, making it difficult to understand what was going on. People were leaving the station, as well as many trying to enter. It was chaos.
We all began to receive government emergency broadcasts sent to all cell phones in Yongsan District, advising people to return home as soon as possible due to an emergency situation near the Hamilton Hotel . These alerts are typically sent in disaster and emergency situations.
More police arrived and ordered everyone to leave the area. I looked for news and social media but couldn’t find anything.
Then, in real time, gruesome videos began to emerge of firefighters performing CPR on dozens of lifeless bodies. It was obvious that something terrible had just happened. It turned out to be a crowd pleaser.
Authorities initially reported that 50 people were in “cardiac arrest,” a term often used in South Korea to indirectly describe death before being confirmed by a doctor. Horrific images emerged on social media of rows of blue body bags outside the station, making it clear that these were not minor injuries.
Itaewon, located in the Yongsan district of Seoul, is synonymous with the foreign community and the party life of South Korea. Until recently, it was home to a huge US military base.
Itaewon has cafes, bars, clubs and restaurants serving cuisine from around the world. It is vibrant, full of life and offers a certain freedom from the conservative gaze of society that few other places in the country have.
This tragedy is affecting many people. There are still people missing. Right now, it’s hard to find words to describe what has happened. Everyone has been messaging each other since last night and this morning to check up on each other.
Devastated, I stayed at my friend’s house. His phone rang this morning, his father just found out. “Son, are you sure?” he said Many will not have the same privilege, and my heart breaks for them.