K-Drama

How the bustling Itaewon was reflected in “Itaewon Class” viral scene 

A scene from “Itaewon Class” captured the once-joyous atmosphere at Itaewon before the tragic incident 

Recently, the Itaewon crowd crush drew a lot of attention from people all over the world with its tragic nature, with over 150 people dead, including foreigners. Many others are injured or reported missing, and many families struggled to contact their loved ones.

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How the bustling Itaewon was reflected in “Itaewon Class” viral scene
Itaewon stampede
It was the first time the district celebrated Halloween after regulation relaxed

Before the tragic incident, the bustle of Itaewon has always been its charm. In fact, this was captured by the 2020 hit K-drama “Itaewon Class”, which follows the male lead Park Sae Ro Yi (Park Seo Joon), who decided to start his own pub after spending time in prison. He then opened “Danbam” in Itaewon – which is considered the “foreigner’s district” and the busiest attractions of Seoul with its various restaurants, pubs, and bars. 

Itaewon Class
“Itaewon Class” was a huge hit when it first aired in 2020

In episode 2 of “Itaewon Class”, Park Sae Ro Yi can be seen walking amid a super busy crowd – both Koreans and foreigners, who’s celebrating Halloween.

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The Halloween celebration at Itaewon was reflected in “Itaewon Class”

Talking about the celebration, the 2nd female lead of “Itaewon Class”, Oh Soo Ah (Kwon Nara), described, “Here, every October 31st, people come to enjoy a celebration that came from abroad, which is said to soothe the soul of the dead and chase away evils. As if to avoid getting harmed by evil spirits, people dressed up as evil themselves. The celebration is called ‘Halloween’, and Itaewon is always busy with streams of people whenever it arrives. Adults all join in the celebration in all sorts of gawky outfits.”

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The busy area of Itaewon in “Itaewon Class”

Oh Soo Ah also wrote, “Even without this celebration, Itaewon is still an extremely attractive area. There are pretty buildings and a huge diversity of people from all sorts of nations and races, making us feel as if in a foreign land. Everyone looks like they have no care as they stroll around. It’s a street that feels like a mini version of the world.”

Itaewon Class
The bustling atmosphere can be felt even through the screen

True to what was written, Park Sae Ro Yi arrived to a busy scene during Halloween. With shots filmed both frontal and from above, the audience can see a constant huge crowd. In fact, Park Sae Ro Yi also had to slide himself through the busy crowd, and the bustling atmosphere of the Halloween celebration was perfectly captured. 

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Park Sae Ro Yi amid the Halloween crowd

The light in Itaewon never goes out, with various restaurants, pubs, and bars that open through the night. The energy in Itaewon never ceased, even as the rest of Seoul goes to sleep

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Park Sae Ro Yi reunited with Oh Soo Ah at the Halloween celebration there

The real estate price and rentals at Itaewon was also mentioned. In particular, a month of rent alone can amount to 200 million won. For Park Sae Ro Yi, he paid 5 million won per month to open his pub, which was small and a bit far off the main street. The price can go up to much higher amounts for a bigger space in the busiest area. 

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Park Sae Ro Yi dressed up for Halloween

Many people around the world knew of Itaewon’s endless energy through “Itaewon Class”. Now, however, the area is shrouded in the sorrow of a huge tragedy. 

Source: Yan

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