Halloween is meant to be a fun time spent with friends. Watching horror movies, telling ghost stories, or going out for spooky-themed parties. Regardless, one would never expect a fun night to turn into a tragedy. It was reported over the weekend that a few hundred people died during a Halloween party at Itaewon, South Korea, making this one of the country’s worst disasters.
When news broke out that people were being crushed to death at the location, Korean citizens were frantically trying to contact their loved ones to make sure they were alive and safe. Unfortunately, it was confirmed that one of the many victims of the disaster was singer and actor Lee Jihan (이지한). Here’s what happened:
For further context, Itaewon has been a popular district to host Halloween events but was put on hold during the worldwide Covid-19 lockdowns. Saturday (29th October), was the first Halloween event since restrictions were lifted and people were excited to join the festivities. Unfortunately, there was little to no crowd control during the event thus causing people to panic as they were unable to move, breathe and break free from the mass.
Among the 154 people who passed away was former “Produce 101 Season 2” participant Lee Jihan. 935 Entertainment confirmed the news by sharing an official statement regarding the idol’s untimely death. In the IG post, the company wrote, “We extend our deepest condolences to the deceased’s family who is deeply saddened by the sudden loss, and to all those who love and cherish actor Lee Jihan.”
It was reported that the 25-year-old was meant to appear in an upcoming untitled MBC K-drama where he already filmed his scenes. There are currently no new updates on the series but it was originally set to premiere in January 2023. Co-star Kim Jung Hyun (김정현) posted on IG reels expressing his condolences to his junior cast member. His funeral will be held tomorrow, Tuesday (1st November).
In related news, Malaysian actor and singer Henley Hii (许亮宇) and his wife Pauline were also there at the Halloween event at Itaewon while on holiday. Fortunately, the couple left early before the tragedy occurred and saw the news of what happened after returning to their hotel room.
The singer updated his friends and fans through IG stories that he and his wife are safe after receiving an Emergency Alert on his phone to not go to Itaewon. The celebrity couple said they’ll stay vigilant and urged everyone to be careful.
Our deepest condolences to everyone who has lost their loved ones to the disaster and we pray to those who made it out alive a speedy recovery from this traumatic event.
Sources: Instagram (1)(2)(3), Allkpop (1)(2), CNN, NST, Chinapress
