South Koreans hold subdued Halloween celebrations a year after party crush killed about 160 people

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Halloween celebrations in South Korea are subdued on the eve of the anniversary of the harrowing party crush that killed about 160 people. Many restaurants, bars, department stores and amusement parks are avoiding Halloween-themed events as a sign of respect for the victims. Few people clad in Halloween costumes were seen in Seoul’s popular nightlife Itaewon neighborhood, the site of last year’s deadly surge. Authorities have deployed thousands of police, emergency and other officials since Friday for crowd control and safety of pedestrians in Itaewon and 15 other major nightlife districts in Seoul. Last year’s tragedy unfolded after a large number of revelers and others packed the Itaewon alley, causing people to fall on each other like dominos.