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☆ Emergency calls reveal growing desperation before South Korea Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A police officer stands guard near floral tributes at the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 1, 2022. The transcripts of emergency calls released by the police showed the first warning of a possible deadly surge was made at 6:34 p.m. on Saturday, roughly four hours before the crush turned deadly. The transcripts, released to media, give a chilling prediction of how the tragedy would unfold. Police received 10 other similar calls before the chaos was known to have turned fatal - and released all those transcripts on Tuesday. "The police will speedily and rigorously conduct intensive inspections and investigation on all aspects without exception to explain the truth of this accident," police commissioner Yoon told a news conference earlier.

Seoul, South Korea CNN —ln a cavernous Seoul gymnasium Tuesday, grieving families inspected neat rows of belongings left behind at the scene of the deadly street crush in Itaewon. Another younger woman, wearing a cast on her left arm, walked into the gymnasium to find her lost shoe. This woman, who didn’t want to be named, said she was in front of a bar in the alley when the crush happened. Police walk among personal belongings retrieved from the scene of a fatal Halloween crowd surge. Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said a “lack of institutional knowledge and consideration for crowd management” was partly to blame for the crowd crush.

SEOUL, South Korea — The South Korean government will conduct a thorough investigation into the Halloween crowd crush that killed more than 150 people in the capital over the weekend, officials said Monday, as the country mourned its worst disaster in years. Tens of thousands of people had gathered on Saturday in Itaewon, a nightlife district of Seoul that is popular with foreigners, when a crowd surge began in a sloped and narrow alleyway, setting off a deadly panic. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol pays tribute in front of City Hall in Seoul on Monday. The crowd surge is the country’s deadliest peacetime accident since the 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry. Stella Kim and Thomas Maresca reported from Seoul, and Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong.

☆ South Korea's deadly Halloween crush was avoidable, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

District authorities for Yongsan, where Itaewon is located, discussed measures to prevent illegal drug use and the spread of COVID-19 during the Halloween weekend, according to a district press release. But there were only 137 police officers in Itaewon at the time, the city of Seoul said. Moon Hyeon-cheol, a professor at the Graduate School of Disaster Safety Management at Soongsil University, said this type of crush had the potential to happen in any populous city. "We need to take this tragedy and learn to prepare for the risk of disaster," he said. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea vows thorough investigation into deadly Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 31 (Reuters) - South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday promised a thorough investigation into the Halloween crush over the weekend that killed more than 150 mostly young people in the capital, plunging the country into mourning. Officials said 154 had been killed and 149 injured, with 33 people in serious condition. Tens of thousands of partiers had crowded into narrow streets and alleyways of Seoul's popular Itaewon district on Saturday for the first virtually unrestricted Halloween festivities in three years. But chaos erupted when people poured into one particularly narrow and sloping alley, even after it was already packed, witnesses said. "We will do our best to provide necessary support by reflecting the opinions of the bereaved families as much as possible."

☆ Crowds so thick in Seoul that disaster was not clear until bodies were lined up, witness says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

At first everything seemed normal to Benedict Manlapaz as he joined Halloween revelers in the Itaewon neighborhood of South Korea's capital, Seoul, but the scale of the tragedy gradually became clear. “We all walked in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd,” said Manlapaz, adding that he had been to a Halloween-themed cruise party with colleagues. Police stand guard at the scene of a Halloween crush in the Itaewon district on Sunday. As concerned relatives rushed to hospitals in search of their loved ones on Sunday, President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a national mourning period. “Last night, a tragedy and a disaster that should never happen did happen in the middle of Seoul celebrating Halloween,” Yoon said.

SEOUL, South Korea — As morning arrived in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood, quiet prevailed at the scene of the tragedy where at least 153 people died on what should have been a night of Halloween revelry. What we know about the deadly incident in Seoul At least 153 people were killed and 103 injured, officials said. While Halloween is not a traditional holiday in South Korea, Itaewon is known for its costume parties at bars and clubs, which have soared in popularity in recent years. The last major tragedy in South Korea also hit young people. Stella Kim and Thomas Maresca reported from South Korea.

[1/4] South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol walks at the scene where many people died and were injured in a stampede during a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea, October 30, 2022. REUTERS/ Heo RanSEOUL, Oct 30 (Reuters) - South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a period of national mourning on Sunday after a Halloween crush killed some 151 people in a packed nightlife area in Seoul. It was the first Halloween event in Seoul in three years after the country lifted COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing. Choi, the Yongsan district fire chief, said all the deaths were likely from the crush in the single narrow alley. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Choonsik Yoo Daewoung Kim, Hong-ji Kim, Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SEOUL, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Young people flocking to Seoul's popular Itaewon district on Saturday for the first virtually unrestricted Halloween festivities in three years instead found themselves caught up in a deadly crush that killed at least 151 people. On Friday night, a Reuters witness saw crowds in the area packed toe-to-toe at a Halloween street fair with booths for face-painting and selling candy and costumes. But social media posts showed nightclubs and bars advertising Halloween events and promotions, including collaborations at some of the hottest clubs for special performances. Just before 10:20 p.m. (1320 GMT), chaos erupted, with police at times struggling to control the crowds, witnesses said. Social media footage showed some people trying to scale the sides of the buildings to escape the increasing pressure, as others shouted, cried, or cursed.

SEOUL, Oct 30 (Reuters) - With "Hooker Hill" and snaking alleyways of bars with signs like "BADASS" around the local landmark Hamilton Hotel, Seoul's Itaewon district was a symbol of freewheeling nightlife in the South Korean capital for decades, before tragedy struck. "This happened right at the moment when we were about to rebound after being hammered by the pandemic," said Lee, who has operated Itaewon businesses for three decades. A mysterious killing called the "Itaewon Murder" and other crimes in the late 1990s painted a dark image of the area. The district has been a recurrent theme in popular culture, with a recent hit drama "Itaewon Class" and K-pop song "Itaewon Freedom". They won't," said Park, who has run businesses in the district for nearly 30 years.

CNN —South Korean authorities are investigating the crowd surge that killed at least 154 partygoers in Seoul, as the rattled nation attempts to come to terms with one of its worst-ever disasters. Nearly all of the victims – at least 150 – have been identified; police told CNN. Three South Korean military personnel were also among those killed, a Korean defense ministry official told CNN. The South Korean government has set a national mourning period starting until the end of November 5, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a briefing. Civil servants and employees of public institutions will wear ribbons to express their condolences during the mourning period, Han said.

☆ South Korea stampede death toll rises to 120, fire authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The number of deaths reported from a stampede in a central district of the South Korean capital Seoul has risen to 120, a fire official said. The incident took place at about 10:20 p.m. (1320 GMT) as a large number of people fell down in a narrow alley during the Halloween events. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Two dead, 22 others suffer cardiac arrest in stampede in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 30 (Reuters) - At least two people died from cardiac arrest and dozens of others were injured after a huge crowd poured into a central district of the South Korean capital for Halloween festivities late on Saturday, a fire official said. As of early Sunday, two were reported dead among 24 who had been transferred to nearby hospitals after suffering cardiac arrest in the incident in the Itaewon district strict, Moon Hyun-joo, an official at the National Fire Agency said. Yonhap news agency said at least 100 were estimated to have been injured due to the stampede. Authorities were investigating the exact cause of the incident, the agency said. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi and Choonsik Yoo, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SEOUL, Oct 28 (Reuters) - North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) off its east coast on Friday, South Korea's military said, while wrapping up nearly two weeks of major drills aimed at deterring its neighbour. The launch, at a time of growing fears that North Korea is readying for its first nuclear test since 2017, was the latest in a record year of tests, whether of short-range missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), or others. The launches did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. South Korea and the United States say the exercises are defensive and needed to counter the North's threats. North Korea held six nuclear tests there from 2006 to 2017.

☆ U.S., Japan, S. Korea vow 'unparalleled' response if N. Korea holds nuclear test
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Kiyoshi Takenaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERSTOKYO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The United States, Japan and South Korea warned on Wednesday that an "unparalleled" scale of response would be warranted if North Korea conducts a seventh nuclear bomb test. Washington and its allies believe North Korea could be about to resume nuclear bomb testing for the first time since 2017. Cho was speaking alongside his Japanese and U.S. counterparts, Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. "We urge (North Korea) to refrain from further provocations," Sherman said, calling them "reckless and deeply destabilising for the region. North Korea has been carrying out weapons tests at an unprecedented pace this year, firing more than two dozen ballistic missiles, including one that flew over Japan.

☆ Two Koreas exchange warning shots near maritime border amid tensions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - North Korea fired 10 artillery shells off its west coast on Monday, the North's official KCNA said, in response to South Korea's warning shots fired at a North Korean boat that crossed the two Koreas' maritime border. North Korea fired 10 shells of multiple rocket launchers at around 5:15 a.m. (-1day 2015 GMT) after the South Korean military fired warning shots at around 3:50 a.m. citing patrol activities, a spokesman for the General Staff of the North's Korean People's Army said. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it sent back a North Korean merchant vessel that crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto sea boundary between the two Koreas. "The General Staff of the Korean People's Army ... ordered to fire 10 shots from multiple rocket launchers to sternly send back the enemy's vessel," the North Korean spokesman said in a statement carried by the KCNA. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Soo-hyang Choi; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ This creator's rice board is a delicious response to the viral butter board trend
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Those viral butter boards are spreading everywhere, but one woman is serving up her own version of the food trend: rice boards. The butter board recipe says to “make a charcuterie board but for butter,” so Kim does the same and adds fried Spam. After her initial rice board went viral, Kim made and posted another — this time inspired by a dish her late mother made her as a child. “Those comments warmed my heart, especially since the second rice board was what my mom used to make for me.”Kim said she loves the support her videos have had but doesn’t know if she’ll be making any more rice board videos. While those might be Kim’s last rice board videos, she said she’s excited to continue making different food content and other viral trends.

☆ U.S., S.Korean troops stage river-crossing drills as North Korea protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A South Korean soldier guides the tanks taking part in a joint river crossing operation drill between South Korean and U.S. troops, in Yeoju, South Korea, October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiYEOJU, South Korea, Oct 19 (Reuters) - South Korean and American troops practiced building floating bridges to ferry tanks and other armoured vehicles across rivers on Wednesday, part of a larger joint military exercise that has angered North Korea. South Korea and the United States say the drills are defensive, and necessary for deterring the North. South Korea uses an older version of U.S.-made bridging equipment, and one span was assembled using elements from each side, allowing troops to practice combining the different systems. Despite the tensions with North Korea, U.S. soldiers said they rarely had time to ponder geopolitics during the drills.

☆ N.Korea says its military orders more artillery firing in response to S.Korea action
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Oct 19 (Reuters) - North Korea's military said it has ordered its troops to fire more artillery shells off its east and west coasts on Wednesday in response to South Korea's firing of rounds from multiple rocket launchers, the North's official KCNA reported. The firing order comes after the North launched some 100 shells into the sea off its west coast around 10 p.m. (1300 GMT) and shot a further 150 rounds off its east coast, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Poland expected to buy S.Korean rocket launchers after tank, howitzer sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Poland is set to buy rocket launchers in its latest arms deal with South Korea, following shipments of tanks and howitzers, as it ramps up arms imports after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, South Korean officials said on Wednesday. Poland is expected to sign a deal with Hanwha Defense, the defence unit of South Korea's Hanwha Corp (000880.KS) this week, to buy K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, officials said. Under the contract, South Korea will supply 288 multiple rocket launchers worth $6 billion, the Yonhap news agency reported. The expected agreement comes as South Korean companies shipped the first batch of tanks and howitzers to Poland. Poland has also agreed to buy 48 FA-50 fighter jets from South Korea.

☆ Lin-Manuel Miranda's first songbook is out, from 'In the Heights' to 'Hamilton' and 'Encanto'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

So even for Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, his first songbook, containing 27 songs from “Hamilton,” “Encanto,” “In the Heights” and more, was a big deal. At the event, his nephew Alejandro performed “Dos Oruguitas” (from “Encanto”) on the piano, and was joined by his own teacher for “You’ll Be Back” (from “Hamilton”). You grew up with musical theater and piano lessons — how does it feel to have your own songbook? And it really was a teacher who brought me out of just writing songs about girls in the back of the classroom. That’s a really fun thing about the whole process: When you’re there early enough, your songs can really be a part of a give-and-take.

Kakao shares plunged as much as 9.5% on Monday to their lowest since May 2020, wiping out 2 trillion won ($1.39 billion) in market capitalisation at one point, while shares in affiliates KakaoPay (377300.KS) and KakaoBank (323410.KS) lost more than 8% before paring losses. South Korea's technology ministry is probing whether the outage violated any laws while the communications regulator is reviewing the matter, including questions of user compensation, officials said on Sunday. An initial probe on Sunday found electrical issues around battery racks in third basement floor of the data centre, which is operated by SK C&C (034730.KS), may have caused the fire. REPUTATIONAL HITThe Kakao messaging application and the Kakao T taxi booking application are seen on a mobile phone in this illustration photo March 13, 2018. It said on Monday it would discuss compensation with data centre operator SK C&C for losses it and its key units have sustained.

☆ Kakao shares slump as outage sparks calls for regulatory scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Kakao shares plunged more than 9% on Monday to their lowest since May 2020, while shares in Kakao affiliates KakaoPay (377300.KS) and KakaoBank (323410.KS) also plunged more than 8% in morning trade. Police and the National Forensic Service are conducting a second investigation on Monday at the data centre, which is operated by SK C&C (034730.KS). After an initial probe on Sunday, police said electrical issues around battery racks in third basement floor of the data centre may have caused the fire. It said in a regulatory filing on Monday that after it normalises services, it will discuss compensation with data centre operator SK C&C for losses sustained by Kakao and its key units. A Kakao spokesperson declined to provide the total number of servers it uses, citing security concerns.

☆ Kakao shares slump after widespread service outage
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Shares in South Korea's Kakao Corp (035720.KS) plunged more than 9% on Monday after a fire at a data centre south of Seoul damaged servers on the weekend, causing an extensive service outage in the country's main chat app. President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday that Kakao's services are "like a fundamental national telecommunications network as far as the public is concerned," and follow-up measures over the service outage will be pursued. Kakao shares fell to its lowest since May 2020, while shares in Kakao affiliates KakaoPay (377300.KS) and KakaoBank (323410.KS) also plunged more than 8% in morning trade. A Kakao spokesperson told Reuters on Monday services such as messaging have been restored, but miscellaneous services are still being restored. Kakao said on Monday the financial effects of a widespread service outage were expected to be limited on Kakao and its key units.

☆ BTS members to serve military duty -HYBE
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Oct 17 (Reuters) - K-pop boy band BTS members will serve mandatory military service, starting with its oldest member Jin, their agency said on Monday. "All other members will also serve mandatory military duty according to their plans," their management group HYBE (352820.KS) said in a regulatory filing. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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