Day 240: Itaewon

With Kieran down for the count, it became a Mary solo day. Grabbed breakfast before heading out to shop in Hongdae and Insadong. Picked up some cute little gifts to bring home including this adorable fridge magnet, a grip lock for the phone, and a new necklace.

Originally Mary planned to meet up with friends we met through Andrea, however, felt bad since Kieran had COVID. Instead, signed up for a bar crawl in Itaewon. Itaewon is a bustling international neighborhood due to its historical proximity to an US military base. It’s a place of cherished memories between visiting Andrea in 2016 and then staying in the neighborhood in 2019; it boasts a wonderful bar and food scene, and there’s always an opportunity to meet strangers and make new friends.

Trigger warning: Itaewon Crowd Crush

Of course, this neighborhood faced a tragic loss of life in 2022 when a crowd crush killed 159 young people who wanted to celebrate Halloween after months of intense COVID lock down. The Itaewon crush is undeniably upsetting with its size, but also the full knowledge/familiarity regarding the exact street and learning that Andrea was lucky enough to be leaving right around the first emergency calls.

After the incident, many young Koreans faced PTSD; Itaewon businesses, restaurants, and bars suffered setbacks; and the Korean people were largely upset with the government for failing to prevent this preventable tragedy. However, over time Itaewon has been able to bounce back. A memorial is in place for those who lost their lives in the alleyway.

Returning to Itaewon was surreal and emotional. Beyond the memorial, you wouldn’t know such a tragedy occurred with people out partying and still making amazing memories. It was important to return and celebrate the space Itaewon provides for both foreign nationals and LGBTQ+ members in Korea.

Today’s pictures in memoriam of Itaewon crowd crush victims.

Food:
Sliced raw octopus
Fish cake soup
Korean fried chicken
Melon and prosciutto

Spots:
Hongdae
Insadong
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