In an emergency notice, SM Entertainment announced the cancelation of its annual halloween party, "SMTOWN WONDERLAND 2022." Keep reading to know what happened.

SM Entertainment Announces Cancelation Of Halloween Party After Itaewon Stampede

(Photo : Twitter: @SMTOWNGLOBAL)
SMTOWN Wonderland 2022 poster

ALSO READ: SM Halloween Party 2022 Reportedly Taking Place in Person— When Is It Scheduled?

On October 30, the SM Halloween party, which was scheduled to be held face-to-face in about four years, was unfortunately canceled.

In an emergency notice released by SM Entertainment early on this day, they informed the K-pop fans about the reason being related to the Itaewon crowd crush and asked for their understanding.

Here's the full notice from SM Entertainment:

"This is SM Entertainment.

We inform you that the live broadcast of the 'SMTOWN WONDERLAND 2022' red carpet, which was scheduled to be broadcast live for free on the global platform Beyond LIVE for KWANGYA CLUB ACE members for about an hour from 6:15 KST has been canceled.

As the 'SMTOWN WONDERLAND 2022' event itself has been canceled, the red carpet will not be broadcast live, so we ask for your understanding.

Thank you."

(Photo : SM logo (News1))

Following this announcement, SM Entertainment also changed their profile pictures on SNS back to the original, after changing it to a Halloween-themed one.

Meanwhile, SMTOWN WONDERLAND is a private Halloween party of SM Entertainment which has received keen attention from global fans every year, and a large number of SM artists were scheduled to attend to shine.

Also known as the "Met Gala of K-pop," the party is particularly popular for its artists' well-prepared iconic Halloween costumes, and every year, it is a question of who will take home the grand prize for being the best-dressed.

Here's Reason SM Entertainment Cancels 'SMTOWN WONDERLAND 2022'

(Photo : Twitter || @SMTOWNGLOBAL)

However, SM Entertainment quickly decided to cancel the event as a shocking stampede accident occurred in Itaewon, where 100,000 people gathered early in the day. In context, Halloween celebrations were also held in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul at the time as well.

But due to an unfortunate crowd crush, 149 people were killed and 76 were injured in the Itaewon crush as of 6 a.m. KST on the 30th, according to the fire authorities.

Choi Sung Beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station in Seoul, said:

"There is a possibility that there will be deaths in the future as the seriously injured person was transferred to the hospital after CPR."

(Photo : Itaewon stampede (News1))

In connection with the Itaewon stampede, as of 7 a.m., 270 reports of missing have been received in Seoul, of which 250 were reported by phone and 20 were reported by visit. The police have already been notified.

WSJ explained that the event held in Itaewon ahead of Halloween was the first time since the global epidemic of COVID-19 began, and many regulations such as business hours restrictions and the obligation to wear outdoor masks have been lifted.

"Some witnesses said that as the evening deepened, the crowd (at Itaewon) became more and more excited and lost control."

READ MORE: SM Entertainment Announces Top 8 'SM Best Dresser' Winners from 'SMTOWN Wonderland 2021'

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Written by Eunice Dawson.