The Uzbekistan Embassy in South Korea has advised fellow citizens residing in the country to refrain from participating in large gatherings, protests, and demonstrations during these days.
On October 29, 2022, a Halloween celebration on Itaewon Street in Seoul resulted in a tragic incident, where a traffic jam led to the loss of 156 lives and left 196 individuals with respiratory distress and cardiac arrest, including one Uzbekistani citizen.
In light of this tragedy, the embassy recommends that Uzbekistani nationals avoid involvement in crowded events, protests, and demonstrations. In case of emergencies involving Uzbek citizens, they are urged to promptly contact the following embassy officials:
Consul Eliar Nishanov - 010-6802-1969;
Vice Consul Azamat Boltaev - 010-2909-4334;
Attaché Abdumannon Isanov - 010-3213-4505.
It was previously reported that the South Korean Ministry of Justice has enacted a special voluntary departure rule for foreigners in an illegal status in the country. According to this rule, illegal foreigners voluntarily leaving the country before December 9, 2023, will be exempt from fines and re-entry bans.
Earlier, Dayo reported that One year after a tragic incident in South Korea that claimed the lives of 159 Halloween revelers due to a crowd crush, Halloween celebrations in Seoul's Itaewon district took on a somber tone to honor the victims. The usual festive decorations were absent, replaced by posters and flowers in remembrance of the victims. Many chose to celebrate elsewhere, and the area was predominantly occupied by older local residents rather than costumed visitors. Last year's tragedy was attributed to poor preparation and crowd control, leading to fatal consequences in a narrow alley. Authorities conducted crowd-control drills with AI-assisted CCTV cameras in preparation for the anniversary.
Despite no official ban on gatherings in Itaewon this year, many preferred alternative locations, such as Hongdae, for their Halloween celebrations. The incident deeply impacted a nation still recovering from the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, which resulted in negligence and a slow response by authorities. While 23 officials faced prosecution, no high-ranking government officials were held accountable for the disaster. Among the victims of last year's crowd crush were 19 foreigners from Uzbekistan, the Russian Federation, Iran, China, and Norway.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)