Seoul puts new crowd control system through its paces ahead of Halloween weekend

Social Affairs

Published: 25 Oct. 2023, 17:38 Updated: 25 Oct. 2023, 19:09

Seoul puts new crowd control system through its paces ahead of Halloween weekend

People are crowded in a narrow alleyway near Konkuk University in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, Wednesday as the city government conducts a joint simulation with the district office, police and fire authorities to control crowds ahead of the Halloween weekend. [NEWS1]

The city of Seoul is on high alert as the Halloween weekend approaches, with the authorities working to ensure safety measures to prevent overcrowding are correctly implemented.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Wednesday visited the Konkuk University area in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, to inspect a new AI-based alert system that directly warns authorities of overcrowding using CCTV cameras.

The so-called Konkuk University Taste Street is one of the 16 places the Seoul Metropolitan Government anticipates will attract large crowds this weekend.

The city government added two more areas to its original list of 14 places after a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety last week.

The 16 places are Itaewon, Myeong-dong and Ikseon-dong in central Seoul; Seongsu-dong, streets near Wangsimni Station and Konkuk University Station in eastern Seoul; Sinchon, Hongdae, Balsan Station and Mullae-dong in western Seoul; Sharosu-gil, Sillim Station, the Seocho and Gangnam sides of Gangnam Station, Nonhyeon Station and Apgujeong Rodeo Street in southern Seoul.

The city’s latest crowd-control measure will be implemented from the start of the Halloween period, likely Friday, as this year’s Halloween Day falls on Tuesday, a weekday.

On the same day, the metropolitan government conducted a joint drill with multiple participants, including the Gwanjin police, fire authorities and university students.

During the drill, three scenarios were demonstrated because police said earlier they would use a three-tier alert system to control crowds, classifying crowd levels as cautious, warning and serious depending on the density.

The cautious level is when three people are squeezed into one square meter (11 square feet). Warning and serious levels will be declared when densities reach four and five people per square meter.

The demonstration began with two passersby calling the emergency hotline after observing around 60 people crowded in a narrow alley.

Through a prerecorded video, participants could see how the report was immediately shared with the city government’s emergency situation room and other related authorities.

Some 90, 120 and 150 people gathered in a 30-square-meter alleyway to show how the situations were dealt with at three different crowd levels.

When the crowd level was classified as cautious, the district office asked people to disperse through a speaker attached to a surveillance camera in the area.

During the alert level, the district dispatched additional safety personnel.

Police and fire authorities were deployed in the area when a serious level was announced.

The latest system automatically notifies each district office, the city government, the police and fire authorities when the crowd is considered “serious,” enabling a prompt response, the city government said.

“I feel relieved to see how public officials at the site are more prepared than last year,” Oh said.

“The city government will thoroughly manage and inspect crowd levels for the next five days and respond closely during Halloween by exhaustively monitoring the sites.”

During the five-day Halloween period from Friday through Tuesday, 1,260 police officers will be dispatched to the 16 designated places to control crowds and respond to emergencies.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]