[26.05.01] Mass Crowd Forces Suspension of Pokémon Event in Seongsu

Mass Crowd Forces Suspension of Pokémon Event in Seongsu

📍Up to 40,000 gather on Labor Day, raising safety concerns as police and firefighters respond

A large-scale Pokémon 30th anniversary event in Seongsu, Seoul, was suspended after tens of thousands of visitors gathered, raising safety concerns. Police and fire authorities were deployed to manage the crowd, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.

🔹 Crowd surge…multiple reports warning of potential crush

On May 1, a large number of people began gathering in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, from early morning to attend a Pokémon 30th anniversary event. Even before the official start, waiting lines had already formed along major alleys and café streets, and crowd density increased rapidly as time passed.

Around 10:39 a.m., multiple emergency reports were filed stating that “there are too many people and it is dangerous” and “the density is high and an accident may occur.” Some callers reportedly described urgent conditions, saying “we are being pushed from all sides and cannot move” and “it is difficult to find an exit.”

In particular, Seongsu’s narrow alley structure combined with its dense commercial environment caused crowds to concentrate at specific نقاط, creating temporary bottlenecks. “ضغط التكدس” zones formed where crowd pressure intensified in one direction, significantly raising concerns about possible accidents.

Authorities assessed the situation not as simple congestion but as a potential crowd disaster risk and immediately activated emergency response measures.

🔹 Up to 40,000 gathered…120,000 at nearby Seoul Forest

According to estimates by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of people in the Seongsu café district increased from approximately 26,000 at 10 a.m. to around 40,000 within just two hours. This far exceeded typical weekend foot traffic levels.

Meanwhile, nearby Seoul Forest experienced a surge in visitors due to the “2026 Seoul International Garden Expo” held on the same day, with approximately 120,000 people recorded throughout the day.

As a result, Pokémon event participants, general visitors, and expo attendees converged simultaneously, creating what can be described as a “compound crowd concentration effect,” where multiple large gatherings overlap in the same area.

Consequently, the Seongsu area transformed into a wide-scale high-density zone, and in some sections, crowd levels reached saturation to the point where normal movement became nearly impossible.

🔹 Labor Day and limited-event incentives drive explosive demand

The concentration of crowds was not caused by a single factor but rather by multiple overlapping drivers.

First, the Labor Day holiday increased overall outdoor activity, drawing both families and younger fan demographics. This significantly raised baseline foot traffic.

In addition, Pokémon Korea organized a promotional event offering limited-edition cards to participants, which acted as a strong incentive. As news spread that rare items could be obtained only through on-site participation, early arrivals surged, forming long queues even before the event began.

Furthermore, social media and online communities rapidly amplified messages such as “you must go now to get it” and “items may run out early,” accelerating real-time crowd inflow.

Experts describe this phenomenon as a “scarcity-driven crowd surge,” where limited rewards trigger rapid and concentrated demand.

🔹 Event suspended…police and fire authorities mobilized

Amid growing safety concerns, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and police requested the organizers to suspend the event, which was officially halted around noon.

Police deployed approximately 90 personnel, including riot units, to manage the crowd. Control lines were established at key intersections and alley entrances, and measures such as one-way pedestrian flow and phased dispersal were implemented.

Fire authorities also positioned emergency response teams on standby in preparation for potential incidents.

In high-density areas, the primary objective was to relieve congestion by dispersing people outward from critical pressure points.

The dispersal operation lasted for more than two hours and was largely completed by around 2:15 p.m. Although some participants protested the sudden suspension, no major conflicts occurred, and the situation was brought under control.

Importantly, no injuries or casualties were reported, indicating that the prompt response by authorities helped prevent a potential disaster.

🔹 Program cancellations and confusion at the scene

Following the suspension, major event programs were canceled in succession.

Organizers announced that key activities, including the Pokémon Go stamp rally, would be halted due to safety concerns.

Access to popular interactive zones, such as themed play areas, was immediately restricted, and the highly anticipated promotional card giveaway was canceled entirely.

At the scene, some visitors expressed frustration after waiting for extended periods only to lose the opportunity to participate.

Additionally, heavy crowd concentration placed a burden on local telecommunications infrastructure, resulting in reports of slow data speeds and message transmission issues.

🔹 Social media reactions spread…“looked dangerous”

Scenes from the site quickly spread across social media platforms in real time.

Photos and videos showing narrow streets completely filled with people were widely shared, accompanied by accounts such as “we were being pushed by the crowd” and “there was no space to step.”

Some users referenced past large-scale crowd disasters and expressed concern about the potential for similar incidents. Others commented that “it could have easily turned into a serious accident.”

Criticism also emerged regarding event management, with calls for measures such as reservation systems or attendance limits for events of this scale.

🔹 Structural limits of urban events…need for preventive measures

The incident highlights structural limitations inherent in large-scale urban events.

In particular, events held in open spaces without prior capacity controls can become difficult to manage if demand exceeds expectations.

Experts emphasize that future events should implement measures such as pre-registration systems, time-slot entry controls, real-time crowd monitoring, and congestion-based alert systems.

They also point out the need for more conservative visitor estimates and more detailed contingency planning during coordination between organizers and local authorities.

This case ultimately demonstrates that large intellectual property-driven events can evolve beyond cultural gatherings into significant urban safety management challenges.

One-line summary : A Pokémon event in Seongsu was halted after up to 40,000 people gathered, raising safety concerns.