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People celebrating Halloween flooded the streets and pubs of Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood on Oct. 31, despite a government recommendation that people stay away from public places and crowds to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although most of Itaewon’s large clubs remained closed that day in compliance with government recommendations, smaller bars and pubs were open for business. A QR-code check-in gate had been installed by the Itaewon Special Tourist Zone Organization on one of the main avenues where the area’s bars and clubs are concentrated, but many partiers simply entered through smaller alleyways. The South Korean government has announced that it will launch an epidemiological investigation of nightlife establishments in Seoul’s Itaewon and Hongdae areas to ensure a major outbreak doesn’t emerge from the Halloween festivities.

By Kang Chang-kwang, staff photographer

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All photos by Kang Chang-kwang