[Jun] Efforts to revive Itaewon come to fruition
Date Jun 26, 2023
Itaewon, Seoul (Courtesy of Yongsan District)
About eight months have passed since a crowd crush in Itaewon, Seoul, killed 159 people, who had gathered there to celebrate Halloween on October 29.
The scars from the tragedy still remain deep in the hearts of people. Itaewon used to be a youth-oriented entertainment hub, but many of them stopped visiting the neighborhood following the deadly crush of people. As a result, sales at most businesses there plummeted, dealing a crushing blow to their owners.
To help revive Itaewon’s commercial district, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups joined forces with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership and the Korea Association for Influencers, among others, and started a new project called “HEY, ITAEWON” in March.
“My heart was heavy because Itaewon, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Korea loved by people all over the world, is still struggling to recover,” Minister Lee Young said. “The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has been preparing this project to revive the Itaewon commercial district for a long time, and we expect more people will participate in the future. Itaewon is a space of diversity, so it has infinite possibilities and potential. I hope all participants will give 100 percent, so the neighborhood can rebound and make a new leap forward.”
As part of the HEY, ITAEWON project, Minister Lee kicked off an online challenge, suggesting people have meals at Itaewon restaurants, share their photos on Instagram with the hashtag “eat_taewon” (#잇_태원) and call on others to do the same. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and the Minister of National Defense were the first people she asked to follow her lead.
“I had a simple yet decent dinner and a cup of tea on Itaewon’s World Food Street,” Oh wrote on his Facebook account after sharing his picture. “I heard that the commercial district has only seen a 30-40 percent recovery. I hope a lot of people return to Itaewon, so its businesspeople can feel less anxious.”
The Ministry of National Defense shares a photo of its officials eating out at a restaurant in Itaewon in May. (Captured from Instagram)
The Ministry of National Defense commented, “To date, Itaewon has shared the history of the Korea-U.S. alliance. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the alliance, and we hope to see a new future for our alliance as well as a new surge for Itaewon.”
Irish Ambassador to Korea Michelle Winthrop and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also took part in the challenge.
“Challenge accepted!” reads Winthrop’s Twitter post. “Let’s revive Itaewon by eating out.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “We will also support the revitalization of this local commercial district. How about visiting Itaewon’s World Food Street with your family and friends this weekend?”
As part of the HEY, ITAEWON project, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Yongsan District have also organized a number of festivals like “Feel The Real Itaewon.” The Korea Association for Influencers recently held street exhibitions.
Thanks to their concerted efforts, businesses in Itaewon are showing signs of recovering. According to Seoul City, sales at businesses in Itaewon 1-dong – the location of the crowd crush – are now at 76.3 percent of the total recorded last October before the tragedy.
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