Many people and media compare the tragic scene of Itaewon against the K-drama “Itaewon Class”.
The recent tragic crowd crush in Itaewon, Korea, has left the entire world in shock. As of 19:30 PM (KST) of October 30th, 153 people have been confirmed deceased. 19 people are still in critical condition and another 82 injured. In addition, most victims are female in their 20s or 30s.
Itaewon, which is located in Yongsan district, Seoul, is considered among the most bustling areas of the city. It is famous for being a bar and restaurant district that attracts a lot of foreigners, tourists, and young people, and once drew great attention after the airing of the famous K-drama “Itaewon Class”. In fact, the series was such a huge hit that it was purchased by various OTT streaming platforms, and was popular in many other nations outside of Korea.
“Itaewon Class” has also recently been remade by the Japanese broadcasting station Asahi into a drama called “Roppongi Class”. As the drama attracts a lot of attention, netizens from Japan expressed shock about the Itaewon tragedy.
As a result, the drama was listed as a reason why people chose to visit Itaewon. A Japanese person who went to the Halloween celebration at the night of the tragedy also mentioned it, saying, “I wanted to come to the filming site of Itaewon Class, especially since it was Halloween. I was so excited to go there, but I almost couldn’t breathe. I was scared and grateful that I came out alive. From such a bustling scene, the street is now tragic..”
Another Japanese netizen was also cited mentioning the series, who said, “The Halloween in ‘Itaewon Class’ was really impressive, so it’s not a surprise that many people chose to go there. I hope that such a tragedy will never be repeated, and pray that all victims rest in peace.”
A Japanese media also wrote, “The scene of the tragedy was a tourist attraction and the setting of the famous K-drama ‘Itaewon Class’. It seems that a lot of tourists went to the scene, especially after regulation finally relaxed after years.”
It was reported that the Itaewon tragedy happened at a slope next to the Hamilton hotel during Halloween celebration. The celebration was hugely popular among young people, and was featured on the 2nd episode of “Itaewon Class”, during a scene where male lead Park Sae Ro Yi (Park Seo Joon) reunited with his friend Oh Soo Ah (Kwon Nara). Even through the series, the crowded scene at Itaewon during Halloween can be seen.
The first “Danbam pub”, which was the main setting for the 1st half of the series, is also a real location in Itaewon. After the K-drama ended, however, all decorations were taken down, though fans still come to check-in and show their love to the series.
Source: yan
