Seoul’s Jung-gu District said Monday it would strengthen crowd safety measures ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, as large crowds are expected in Myeong-dong, one of the city’s busiest shopping areas.
The district designated six days, from Christmas Eve through Dec. 27 and from New Year’s Eve to Jan. 1, 2026, as a special crowd management period. During this time, it will operate a real-time information-sharing and rapid-response system to address potential overcrowding.
On Christmas Eve in particular, Jung-gu expects peak crowd levels of up to 50,000 people in Myeong-dong. District officials said they will implement thorough safety measures to manage the influx.
“Myeong-dong has long been a must-visit destination during Christmas, and the area will also host its first New Year countdown festival this year,” Jung-gu Mayor Kim Kil-sung said. “We will do our utmost to ensure safety so that visitors from Korea and abroad can create only joyful and warm memories.”
During the designated period, the district office will operate onsite control centers and deploy additional safety personnel.
Audio announcements will be issued when crowd density exceeds three to four people per square meter, based on monitoring through 38 closed-circuit television cameras installed across the Myeong-dong area.
Jung-gu has already established a joint response system with police, fire services, transportation authorities, and nearby department stores to manage crowd safety. The cooperation framework was finalized on Dec. 8, and Kim is scheduled to visit the area on Tuesday for a final on-site inspection.
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