Lessons from the Itaewon Alleyway Tragedy—What to Do and What Not to Do

A large-scale casualty accident caused by crowd crush occurred as people enjoying the Halloween festivities in the alleyways of Itaewon surged together. It is all the more tragic because most of the dead and injured were young people in their teens and twenties. The aftermath of the accident must be dealt with as soon as possible, and those who were hurt must be healed. At the same time, the dangers inherent in this kind of alleyway festival—especially the limitations of narrow, sloped streets—must be taken into account to ensure that this never happens again.

This accident occurred as people in the alleyway unintentionally became pressed tightly against one another, pushing and being pushed. Their suffering can only be immense. It is heartbreaking. The large number of casualties also suggests that citizens’ spontaneous sense of order—showing consideration for one another and helping one another—did not function properly. There was even testimony that some people heard shouts of “Push!”

Since the 2002 World Cup, our society has taken pride in its mature civic consciousness. Although the alleyway had inherent limitations, it is nonetheless clear that this was an accident one can hardly believe occurred in an advanced country. For the younger generation, whose outings, schooling, and social lives were halted under strict controls during the COVID period, public order on the street may in fact have been something unfamiliar. Social order built through voluntary civic consciousness, rather than order imposed through control, requires the accumulation of diverse experiences.

To prevent a recurrence, the cause of the accident must be identified. This accident happened because a huge crowd gathered in a narrow alley on a steep hill. In particular, large crowds converging in a sloped alleyway is a fatal risk. Even in open plazas or on wide streets, incidents and accidents can occur when large crowds gather. On October 9, 1.05 million people gathered in Yeouido for the fireworks festival held for the first time in three years. Accidents were prevented by dispersing demand through non-stop transit operations and by utilizing wide open space. At year’s end, many people will participate in the Bell-Ringing Ceremony on New Year’s Eve. In an open society, people gathering to enjoy festivals is entirely natural and there is no reason to prevent it. But festivals must be held in safe places. In particular, it must be clearly recognized that alleyways are unsuitable venues for large public events or festivals.

It is also regrettable that police personnel who should be deployed for citizens’ traffic and safety are instead being sent to sites of large-scale demonstrations. As plazas and streets are occupied by protesters, ordinary citizens are effectively pushed into alleyways. Until the wounds of this accident have healed, it would be socially responsible for organizations that organize protests to refrain from holding large-scale demonstrations.

In the long term, schools must properly establish education for mature civic consciousness. The spirit of not harming others and being considerate of others is an advanced form of order that takes root in a free society with developed capitalism. Acting freely and enjoying festivals in open spaces is something that free citizens—who observe public order and live responsibly—are able to enjoy. It is necessary to change both the content and methods of education so that people can learn to behave responsibly as members of such a free society. Only by holding various festivals within schools and accumulating experience in creating order together can young people grow into adults who function well in society.

We need a mature culture that helps heal the wounds suffered by the victims and the bereaved families. Material consolation may also be necessary, but psychological treatment that helps the traumatized overcome stress is important. A system that provides counseling and treatment so that those who have suffered emotional trauma can recover mentally must function effectively. In the past, there have been many accidents, including the Sewol ferry disaster. If people do not receive proper psychological treatment, they may wander the streets or live on carrying that grief.

At the same time, the political sphere must not use this accident as a tool for partisan strife. What is needed is empathetic politics that shares in citizens’ pain and works together wisely to prevent the same kind of accident from happening again. We must be patient with one another and cooperate so that we can move toward a safer and freer society.

Sung-no Choi, President, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Original title: 이태원 골목길 참사의 교훈-할 것과 하지 말아야 할 것

Author: Sung-no Choi

Date: 2022-11-01

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=press&idx=25047