Families of missing people wait for news of their loved ones at Hannam-dong Community Service Center, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap

Itaewon incident indicative of generational divide

By Lee Yeon-woo

The vast majority of the hundreds of people who were caught up in the fatal crowd crush incident that occurred in central Seoul's Itaewon during Halloween celebrations on Saturday night were Koreans in their teens or 20s. As such, some consider the tragedy a representation of the generational divide between older and younger Koreans.

While many older Koreans are simply uninterested in the celebration of Halloween, younger Koreans, particularly those of Generation Z, are used to celebrating the annual holiday.

But the tragedy has already put a dampener on younger Koreans' enthusiasm for Halloween.

"I think I won't be able to enjoy the festive mood of Halloween for some time for the sake of the people who died in Itaewon," Han Si-ha, 26, said.

Han said that she has celebrated Halloween every year since she was a college freshman. Before COVID-19 discouraged in-person activities, she visited Itaewon several times to enjoy the party atmosphere, and had her face painted.

"I found the culture attractive because you can put on makeup and costumes that you wouldn't usually dared to wear. It's also exciting that you can share a similar experience with people in the streets whom you barely know," Han said.

Regarding how Halloween started to interest younger Koreans, there are two common explanations. One centers around the nation's English education boom, while the other is that younger Koreans' Westernization in their cultural pursuit has been impacted by hallyu-driven migration that has been evident since the 1990s.

Koreans became familiar with Halloween in the 1990s when several bars, nightclubs and hotels located around Itaewon started to host Halloween parties. Many media called the events "weird" and accused them of "cultural toadyism" due to the costumes and atmosphere, as well as the fact it originates from Western countries.

Koo Jeong-woo, a professor of sociology at Sungkyunkwan University, pointed out that the 1990s was the time when foreign nationals ― mostly youth ― started to come to Korea. Those foreign nationals played a role in promoting Halloween among youths, but events were held on a smaller scale compared to now, according to the sociologist.

Koo said Generation Z contributed to creating the huge festive atmosphere as seen in a handful of nightlife areas, including Itaewon. Generation Z refers to those born between 1996 and 2005.

"Generation Z is the group that has the biggest desire to express themselves. Before, a lot of people didn't dare to wear costumes and hit the streets. However, the culture has transformed (since Generation Z started to reach adulthood)."

People wearing Halloween costumes pass by ambulances in Itaewon, Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap

Lee Taek-gwang, a professor of English literature at Kyung Hee University, said the nation's English craze has partly contributed to younger Koreans' celebration of Western culture annually.

According to him, Korean teens and those in their 20s were the generations who learned English at kindergarten or private institutes as part of their preschool language education, and celebrating Halloween was part of the curriculum they were taught.

"So, those who were exposed to Halloween during their childhood years naturally take it as part of their culture and keep celebrating it even after they became adults," he said in a media interview.

Lee also said companies have taken advantage of Halloween as part of their marketing strategy, noting that along with childhood English education, corporate marketing contributed to the holiday's spread.

The media has also played a role in glamorizing Itaewon streets, too.

Some say younger Koreans' celebration of Halloween is a media-driven phenomenon.

In JTBC's hit TV series "Itaewon Class," there's a scene where the protagonist likens festivals to freedom. As the scene portrays multinational visitors enjoying food and drinks while strolling happily through Itaewon, she says, "Everybody seems so free."

Kim Jae-jeong, 24, said the media has largely affected her interest in Halloween, too. "I have been on social media since high school. I believed Halloween is for the 'cool, popular, hotshot' adults as it's mainly celebrated at night, and people wear fancy costumes," she said.

"I think I wanted to present myself as the 'cool, popular, hotshot' adult by posting myself on social media enjoying the Halloween vibe in Itaewon."

Visiting Itaewon during Halloween had been on her wish list for a long time.

Police cordon off an area by Itaewon Station for emergency services after a crowd surge killed at least 151 people in an alley beside the Hamilton Hotel, Itaewon. Yonhap

"Younger people, especially those who entered universities after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, never had a chance to experience the festivities. Their expectations were huge. They never had a chance to see so many people on such a large scale," Koo said.

"It was so obvious that a lot of people would be there yesterday. I believe the government should have prepared better."