[PHOTOS] Halloween returns to Itaewon

After a devastating accident that claimed over 150 lives in 2020, the multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon in central Seoul has finally seen Halloween return to normalcy. Four years after the tragedy, the area has gradually begun to come to terms with the past while remaining cautious and vigilant. The police presence was heavy during the two years following the disaster, as residents grappled with their trauma and feared judgment for being too celebratory.

As Halloween 2026 approached, the neighborhood seemed poised to shake off the past and return to a sense of normalcy. Halloween decorations began to appear in the streets over the past few weeks, and despite protests from hardcore Christians who viewed the holiday as queer, the festivities began to take hold. It wasn't until Friday that the crowds truly began to gather, and on Saturday, the main road through Itaewon was closed off to traffic, allowing tens of thousands of pedestrians to celebrate the holiday in the streets.

This precaution should have been taken four years ago, yet the move proved to be a significant step in reducing the potential for another tragedy.