Prada Event in Seoul Shut Down as 700-Strong Crowd Sparks Safety Alert

Seoul, South Korea—A promotional event by Italian luxury brand Prada in Seoul's emerging fashion district of Seongsu was forced to close early amid growing safety concerns. 

This highlights the challenges facing luxury retailers managing large-scale events in densely populated urban areas.

According to police estimates, the photo wall event, scheduled for October 24 at Candy Seongsu venue, drew an estimated crowd of 700 people to a narrow street in the industrial-turned-cultural district. 

The event originally planned to run until 1 a.m., was terminated at 10:45 p.m. following intervention from local authorities.

District officials reported that safety monitoring began at 7 p.m., with four emergency calls regarding crowd management concerns received from 6:40 p.m.. 

The venue's location near a city bus depot and heavy commuter traffic routes complicated crowd control efforts.

"The combination of rush-hour traffic patterns and increasing crowd density raised significant safety concerns," Seongdong District Mayor  Chong Won-o stated through his social media channel. A minor vehicle collision was reported during the event.

While the event did not require prior registration under public performance laws, organizers had filed personnel of security needed notifications with local police.

The district office announced the implementation of a comprehensive situation room operation from October 25 to November 1, including CCTV monitoring and joint public-private patrols, in preparation for expected Halloween crowds.