President Yoon declares nat'l mourning period due to Itaewon tragedy; multiple TV programs and major events canceled

South Korea is canceling and postponing major events as the nation enters a mourning period due to the Itaewon Halloween tragedy.

On October 30 KST, the morning following the incident, President Yoon Seok Yeol held a press conference at the Yongsan Presidential Office, where he announced an emergency public discourse related to the Itaewon tragedy and declared a period of national mourning – starting that day and continuing until November 5.

In response, the entertainment industry has begun canceling or postponing various programs and events. Among canceled programming, SBS has canceled today's episodes of 'Inkigayo,' 'Animal Farm,' and 'Running Man,' tvN has canceled episodes of 'Comedy Big League' and 'The Game Caterers 2,' KBS has canceled '1 Night, 2 Days' and 'Boss in the Mirror,' and MBC has canceled today's episode of 'King of Masked Singer.'

Multiple music events, including the 'Halloween Strike Music Festival 2022' and 'Busan One Asia Festival 2022,' have also been canceled. Organized Halloween festivities have also been canceled at amusement park Everland as well as popular Halloween celebration districts like Hongdae.

Meanwhile, as previously reported, over 100,000 individuals gathered in the Itaewon neighborhood on October 29 to celebrate Halloween. As of 9:30 AM on October 30, 151 deaths and 82 injuries have been confirmed.