Reviewing stakeholders during the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush, Korea 2022: Qualitative content analysis

BACKGROUND: The issue of crowd crushes has been not only very complicated but also uncertain. This article aimed to evaluate how situations such as the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush in South Korea in 2022 can be better managed to reduce human loss. METHODS: Qualitative analysis was the key methodology used to compare emergency planning for ordinary events with contingency planning for special events, focusing on four stakeholders, namely governments, businesses, voluntary organizations, and other local communities. RESULTS: The key finding was that all stakeholders would need to supplement emergency planning for ordinary events with contingency planning for special events for the nation. They must embody cooperation, cutting-edge technologies, routinized updates, situation awareness, political rationality, training and exercise, and others, based on inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: This is a pioneer study that examined the Itaewon crowd crush more comprehensively than others in particular by including many disaster management principles.