SEOUL– Most Halloween festivals, events and parades have been canceled, their organizers and the government said Sunday, as the country mourns the deaths of at least 151 people in an overnight stampede.
At least 82 others were injured after being crushed in a narrow downhill alley in the famous nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul on Saturday after tens of thousands of people visited the area for Halloween.
The government has designated a national mourning period starting Sunday through Saturday and also ordered flags at government buildings and public offices to fly at half-mast.
The ward office of Jongro in central Seoul said it has canceled or postponed various events and festivals scheduled for the rest of the week.
Busan OneAsia Festival — scheduled for later Sunday in the southern city of Busan — has also been canceled. The event was to invite a number of K-pop stars and was expected to bring in nearly 40,000 spectators.
Lego-themed amusement park Legoland, located in Chuncheon, 75 kilometers east of Seoul, said it has also canceled its Halloween festival.
Most stores across the country also canceled Halloween events and removed decorations and posters promoting the events.
Source: Yonhap News Agency