AI, drones guard nightlife districts as Seoul ramps up Halloween safety measures

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will deploy AI crowd-monitoring cameras, drones and mobile command buses across 14 nightlife districts starting Friday as part of Halloween safety preparations. The special management period runs through Nov. 1, with officials preparing for large weekend crowds amid increased international tourism. The measures include real-time crowd alerts, pedestrian-flow controls and thousands of personnel on the ground.

A total of 361 AI-powered cameras will monitor pedestrian density, with alerts sent to municipal, police and fire command centers when crowds reach five to six people per square meter.

Drones will stream live video of bottlenecks in Hongdae, Seongsu-dong and Gangnam to ground managers.

Authorities will assign 3,271 public officials, police officers, firefighters and safety stewards to the districts, including 1,620 in Itaewon.

On Halloween night, Itaewon-ro will close to vehicles, while one lane of Hongdae’s main club street will become a pedestrian walkway.

Yongsan District plans 20 public safety broadcasts per hour during peak periods and has designated emergency medical corridors for ambulances.

Published Oct 22, 2026 5:03 pm KST

4 years after Itaewon tragedy, city officials tighten control over 14 major nightlife hubs during peak weekend hours

Police officers direct pedestrians along a street in Itaewon, Yongsan District, Seoul, as municipal authorities enforce strict safety measures to manage Halloween crowds, Oct. 31, 2025. Korea Times file

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will deploy artificial intelligence crowd (AI)-monitoring cameras, airborne drones and mobile command buses across 14 major nightlife hubs starting Friday as part of an intensive safety management campaign ahead of Halloween.

The special safety management period, running from Friday through Nov. 1, comes as city officials brace for large weekend crowds fueled by a surge in international tourism. Monthly foreign visitor arrivals to Korea recently topped 2 million for three consecutive months, bringing total inbound travel between May and September past 10 million.

The heightened vigilance reflects lingering national trauma from the October 2022 crowd crush in Itaewon, which claimed 159 lives in a narrow, sloped alleyway. That tragedy prompted a sweeping overhaul of Korea’s municipal safety protocols, transforming Halloween from a loosely managed commercial event into one of the country's most heavily policed and technologically monitored public gatherings.

The targeted zones include eight high-density priority areas — Itaewon, Hongdae, Seongsu-dong, Myeongdong, Ikseon-dong, the Gangnam Station corridor, the Konkuk University food alley, and Apgujeong Rodeo Drive — alongside six secondary safety areas spanning Wangsimni Station, Sinchon Yonsei-ro, Balsan Station, Sillim Station, Sharosu-gil and Nonhyeon Station.

Across the 14 targeted districts, 361 AI-powered crowd-sensing cameras will track pedestrian density in real time. If crowd levels reach a critical threshold of five to six people per square meter, automated alerts will immediately notify municipal, police and fire command centers to initiate crowd-dispersal protocols. Drones will fly above Hongdae, Seongsu-dong and Gangnam to stream live video feeds of bottleneck points to ground managers.

On Halloween night, which falls on a Saturday this year, authorities will close Itaewon-ro to vehicle traffic to expand walking space, while converting one lane of Hongdae’s main club street into a dedicated pedestrian walkway. In narrow alleyways, such as Itaewon's World Food Street, one-way pedestrian lanes and queue-control barriers outside popular venues will prevent overcrowding.

In total, 3,271 public officials, police officers, firefighters and professional safety stewards will be stationed on the ground, with 1,620 assigned directly to Itaewon. At Noksapyeong Square, a mobile command bus equipped with satellite communications and high-output loudspeakers will serve as an emergency hub. If overcrowding reaches critical levels, subway trains will bypass key stations, including Itaewon and Hongik University stations.

The citywide effort builds on independent safety infrastructure prepared by local borough offices. Yongsan District, which oversees Itaewon, has established 24-hour video monitoring, scheduled 20 public safety broadcasts per hour during peak periods, and designated dedicated emergency medical corridors to ensure unimpeded access for ambulances.

"With Halloween falling on a weekend alongside a major increase in foreign tourists, thorough preparation is vital," said Kim Seong-bo, Seoul's vice mayor for administrative affairs. "We urge all visitors to follow the instructions of safety stewards and adhere to one-way pedestrian flows."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

首尔市政府将于周五起在14个夜生活区部署人工智能人流监控摄像头、无人机和移动指挥车，作为万圣节安全准备工作的一部分。此次特别管控措施将持续至11月1日，官员们正为应对国际游客增多带来的周末人流高峰做好准备。这些措施包括实时人流预警、人流管制以及部署数千名现场工作人员。

总共 361 个人工智能摄像头将监控行人密度，当人群密度达到每平方米 5 至 6 人时，将向市政、警察和消防指挥中心发出警报。

无人机将向地面管理人员实时传输弘大、圣水洞和江南的交通瓶颈视频。

当局将向各区派遣 3,271 名公务员、警察、消防员和安全管理员，其中 1,620 人将在梨泰院。

万圣节之夜，梨泰院路将禁止车辆通行，而弘大主要夜店街的一条车道将变成人行道。

龙山区计划在高峰时段每小时进行 20 次公共安全广播，并指定了救护车紧急医疗通道。

发布于2026年10月22日下午5:03（韩国标准时间）

梨泰院夜总会枪击案发生四年后，首尔市政府加强了对周末高峰时段14个主要夜生活场所的管控。

2025年10月31日，首尔龙山区梨泰院，警察在街道上指挥行人，市政府正在实施严格的安全措施以控制万圣节人流。（韩国时报资料图）

首尔市政府将于周五开始在14个主要夜生活中心部署人工智能人群（AI）监控摄像头、空中无人机和移动指挥巴士，作为万圣节前夕一项强化安全管理活动的一部分。

由于国际游客激增，周末人潮可能大幅增加，因此市政府为应对这一特殊安全管理期（从周五持续至11月1日）做好了准备。韩国近期连续三个月每月接待外国游客超过200万人次，使得5月至9月期间的入境游客总数超过1000万人次。

这种高度警惕反映了2022年10月梨泰院人群踩踏事件给韩国民众留下的挥之不去的创伤。那场悲剧发生在一条狭窄倾斜的巷子里，造成159人死亡。这场悲剧促使韩国对市政安全规程进行了全面改革，将万圣节从一个管理较为宽松的商业活动转变为该国警力部署最严密、技术监控最严格的公共集会之一。

目标区域包括八个高密度优先区域——梨泰院、弘大、圣水洞、明洞、益善洞、江南站走廊、建国大学美食街和狎鸥亭罗德奥大道——以及六个次要安全区域，涵盖往十里站、新村延世路、巴山站、新林站、沙路水路和论岘站。

在14个目标区域，361个人工智能驱动的人群感知摄像头将实时追踪行人密度。如果人群密度达到每平方米5至6人的临界阈值，系统将自动发出警报，立即通知市政、警察和消防指挥中心启动人群疏散程序。无人机将在弘大、圣水洞和江南上空飞行，向地面管理人员实时传输拥堵点的视频画面。

今年万圣节当晚恰逢周六，当局将封闭梨泰院路，禁止车辆通行，以扩大步行空间；同时，弘大主要夜店街的一条车道将改为人行道。在梨泰院世界美食街等狭窄的巷道中，将设置单向人行道，并在热门场所外设置排队控制栏杆，以防止人流拥挤。

总计将有3271名公务员、警察、消防员和专业安全管理人员驻守现场，其中1620人直接派驻梨泰院。在绿莎坪广场，一辆配备卫星通讯设备和高功率扬声器的移动指挥车将作为应急中心。如果拥挤程度达到临界水平，地铁列车将绕过包括梨泰院站和弘益大学站在内的关键站点。

全市范围的安保工作建立在各区政府各自独立的安保基础设施之上。负责梨泰院的龙山区已设立24小时视频监控，高峰时段每小时安排20次公共安全广播，并指定专用紧急医疗通道，以确保救护车畅通无阻。

首尔市行政副市长金成甫表示：“万圣节恰逢周末，加上外国游客数量大幅增加，做好充分准备至关重要。我们敦促所有游客听从安全工作人员的指示，并遵守单向行人通行规则。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。