Large Halloween crowds gather in Seoul’s Hongdae district and Itaewon area, with city data indicating numbers ranging from roughly 120,000–125,000 in Hongdae and about 20,000–32,000 in Itaewon, depending on the specific estimate reported. Seoul metropolitan government figures cited by outlets say both areas remain “crowded,” with visitors largely in their 20s.
Coverage also places the turnout in the context of Itaewon’s 2022 disaster. Several reports note that some visitors in Itaewon lay flowers to mark the victims of the deadly crowd crush that killed 159 people during the Halloween weekend. Police said they would deploy thousands of personnel to manage Halloween crowds, including at multiple key locations across Seoul.
Across outlets, the main difference lies in the Itaewon and Hongdae figures used: Korea Times and one Yonhap report present “up to 125,000” for Hongdae and about 30,000 for Itaewon, while another Yonhap version reports slightly lower figures (around 120,000 in Hongdae and about 20,000 in Itaewon).
