The interior ministry will conduct an advance check of areas that are expected to see large crowds around Halloween in a bid to prevent accidents like last year’s crowd surge in Itaewon, which led to 159 deaths.

The ministry held a meeting on Thursday on preparations for the weekend chaired by Yi Han-kyung, the head of the ministry’s disaster management office, and attended by officials from 26 related agencies, including the nation’s 17 provinces and cities as well the health ministry, the National Police Agency and the National Fire Agency.

The ministry plans to operate a joint situation management system with related agencies in four regions where large crowds are likely between next Friday and November 1 – Itaewon, the streets around Hongik University and Myeongdong in Seoul as well as Dongseong-ro Street in Daegu.

The ministry will focus checks on narrow and steep alleys and dispatch security officials or implement one-way traffic regulations if deemed necessary.

It also plans to conduct an inspection next Thursday and Friday in Itaewon and areas around Hongik University likely to draw the largest crowds, checking allies for obstacles that may impede the flow of foot traffic such as illegal structures, while also reviewing crowd and traffic control management.