American Recounts ⁤Seoul Halloween Crowd Buildup

‌ Updated ‍May 30, 2025

Janelle Story, 35, an American​ residing in Seoul, described the escalating crowd conditions leading up to a deadly Halloween incident. Story told BuzzFeed ⁣News she encountered ⁣large⁤ gatherings while heading to a bar⁣ crawl. ‌By 8:30 p.m.,the area was already densely ​populated.

Story communicated via Twitter that exiting the subway station​ proved ⁤challenging, requiring 20 minutes to navigate the throng. As‍ she moved between bars near ⁢Hamilton Hotel, the ‌crowds were tightly packed, though ⁤initially, the situation did not appear risky. The Halloween crowd and the ⁤potential for a⁢ crowd crush were already apparent.

Around 10:30 p.m., Story’s sense of⁤ unease⁢ grew as she documented the​ scene, later sharing the footage on⁣ Twitter. The Halloween crowd was becoming increasingly agitated.