On the evening of October 24, a Prada event in Seongsu-dong, East Seoul, was expected to draw a large crowd from 8 PM to 1 AM. However, due to the attendance of celebrities, including actress Kim Tae-ri, authorities grew concerned about the potential for a crowd crush similar to the tragic Itaewon disaster that resulted in 159 deaths in 2022. As a result, the event was abruptly canceled.
According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, preparations for the Prada event at “Candy Seongsu” began, but issues arose as early as 6:40 PM when several attendees reported fears of crowd congestion and called for police assistance to maintain order.
Authorities disclosed that while the event organizers had hired security personnel, they did not account for the areas outside the venue, leading to severe overcrowding. It was estimated that around 700 people had gathered at the scene, which even caused traffic incidents involving buses and cars in the vicinity.
In light of safety concerns, the organizers ultimately decided to end the event prematurely at 10:45 PM, canceling the scheduled celebrity photo-op session as well.
East Seoul District Mayor Jeong Won-woo shared on social media platform X that, considering safety precautions, he consulted with the local police chief and other officials. Following these discussions, the district government recommended that the organizers conclude the event early to mitigate the risk of an incident.
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