On the day of the Itaewon disaster, it was belatedly known that many people were injured at a festival held in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do.
According to Jeollabuk-do on the 2nd, the '1st Treasure Hunt Surprise Festival' was held in Iksan-si Precious Metals and Jewelry Industrial Complex on the 28th, the day before the Itaewon disaster.
The event was held in such a way that a '2 carat diamond' worth about 20 million won was presented as a gift and prizes were given out through a lottery when a treasure hunt note was found. It is known to be scattered.
Event attendees gathered in one place to pick up the notes that had fallen on the floor, and an instant tangle occurred.
The number of participants in the event, previously disclosed by the organizers, reached 3,000 with advance reservations, and it was understood that an additional 1,000 people were added as on-site participants after that.
A woman in her 60s, who was swept away by the crowd, suffered a head injury and was taken to the hospital, and about 15 citizens were reported to have suffered minor injuries.
At that time, more than 100 personnel, including public officials and autonomous crime prevention units, were deployed at the site.
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In this regard, the city of Iksan said that this problem occurred due to a larger crowd than expected, and said that it would send an apology text to the confirmed participants.
An official from Iksan City said, "The festival was initially promoted by hiding and finding notes throughout the industrial complex, but due to dangerous substances, the scope of the festival was limited to the main street. We apologize for the inexperienced operation."
In addition, the 'treasure hunt' event scheduled for the next day (30th) was canceled in the aftermath of the Itaewon disaster that occurred that day.
On the other hand, after the Itaewon disaster, which killed about 300 people, there are voices calling out that it is necessary to look back on the 'overcrowded culture' with a high population density wherever you go, such as a crowded subway or various festival sites.
Some citizens pointed out that it is time to improve social awareness, saying, 'The phenomenon of crowding has become a kind of culture and is leading to insensitivity to safety'.
Regarding overcrowding culture, Park Chung-woong, a professor of fire and disaster prevention at Sejong Cyber University, said, "There is a blunt perception that crowded subways are becoming part of everyday life and that they can be dangerous. there," he said.
(Photo=@jewelry_festival_ Instagram)