Approximately 10 months after the tragic Halloween crowd crush that claimed 159 lives, there are, once again, visible green shoots growing in Itaewon, one of the main nightlife districts in Seoul, which had been struggling to attract visitors.
Jessy Crawford, a 29-year-old Canadian office worker, was on her first trip to Korea and Asia. For her and her Korean friends alike, the tragic crowd crush that claimed 156 lives on Saturday night was the last thing they imagined would happen during Halloween weekend. With five days left in Korea on Tuesday night, she paid a visit to the memorial site at exit 1 of Itaewon Station, just a few meters from where the crowd surged, to pay her respects to those who lost their lives.