Fashion, K-Pop Events Canceled and Postponed as South Korea Mourns for Tragedy in Itaewon, Seoul

On the night of October 29, the streets of Itaewon -- the go-to district for partying in Seoul, South Korea -- were filled with crowds as the city entered its first maskless Halloweekeend since the COVID-19 pandemic. With tens of thousands of people flooding the streets, a narrow alleyway was packed to the point where witnesses said it became hard to move or breathe, resulting in a tragic crowd surge where more than 150 people died.

As of writing, 154 people have died with 149 injured. Families and friends of unidentified victims are searching for their missing loved ones as authorities are investigating the incident. President Yoon Seok-youl declared a period of national mourning until November 5, with most events getting canceled or postponed to a later date.

Gucci, which was originally scheduled to present its "Cosmogonie" collection at the Gyeongbokgung Palace on November 1, announced that the show is now canceled. The house took to Instagram, writing, "We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected by the tragedy in Itaewon, Seoul South Korea."

Dior, which has tapped into the Korean market like many other fashion labels by enlisting BLACKPINK's Jisoo and Cha Eunwoo as brand ambassadors, followed suit, taking to Instagram to send its condolences to South Korea.

pushBUTTON, a local brand previously slated to showcase its Summer 2023 collection on November 3, postponed the event to a later date.

K-pop artists and companies have been canceling their events as well. SM Entertainment -- home to aespa, NCT, EXO, SHINee, Girls' Generation and many more -- canceled its famous staff Halloween party. Meanwhile, BTS' management company HYBE Corporation wrote in an email to the press that it would postpone its company briefing event, which was originally scheduled for November 4. Music shows like M Countdown and Music Bank have additionally canceled this week's performances, while YG Entertainment -- home to BLACKPINK -- has issued a statement, noting that it has postponed all of its scheduled promotion and content release dates for its artists.

Social media has since been flooded with messages of grief, with stars like BTS, BLACKPINK, Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heungmin and many more expressing their condolences on Instagram.

Our thoughts go out to all of those affected by the tragedy in Itaewon. All reports of missing persons in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu can be directed to 02-2199-8660, 02-2199-8664~8678, 02-2199-5165~5168 or the 120 Dasan Call Center. In-person reports can be made on the third floor at the Hannam-dong Community Service Center.

You can head over to outlets like BBC and CNN to read more about what happened.