Last weekend (Oct 29), tragedy struck South Korea when a crowd crush in the trendy Itaewon nightlife district resulted in 156 deaths.

The incident was caused by a lack of crowd control at a 4m-wide alley, where dense crowds gathered to celebrate Halloween at nearby clubs, bars and restaurants.

In the wake of the disaster, all industries in South Korea have put a stop to any Halloween-related celebrations and activities. As for the showbiz scene, all Halloween-themed variety shows, idol videos and artiste social media posts have been shelved.

Popular variety shows such as the fourth season of Two Days & One Night (see main pic) and The Return of Superman have also cut all Halloween content from their episodes.

Programs which have aired their Halloween specials on television prior to the incident have taken down any online reruns and on-demand streams as well.

Concerts, fan meets, and any celebrations relating to Halloween have been canceled in its entirety. Idols have also refrained from sharing any posts regarding Halloween.

An insider from a broadcasting station said: “[It’s] not just this year. Korea’s entertainment industry doesn’t look like it will produce anymore Halloween-related content in the future.”

The news of Halloween becoming a taboo topic in South Korea brought about differing opinions from Korean netizens, with some supporting the industry’s move, while others, not so much.

A portion of audiences were dumbfounded by the statement, leaving comments such as: “If something happens on Christmas, are we canceling Christmas too?” and “That can’t be right, Halloween did not do anything wrong, it’s the government countermeasures that are in the wrong, no?”

Others were more understanding of the industry’s plans.

“Every year during this time, we will think of what has happened. Who still wants to celebrate Halloween,” wrote one netizen.

The massive crowd that had gathered at Itaewon on Saturday (Oct 29) night  The 4m-wide alley where the fatal incident happened Photos: KBS, Koreaboo