The government on Wednesday surveyed the measures in place to maintain public safety and mitigate risks in areas where crowds are expected to gather for upcoming Halloween celebrations.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety reviewed the plans during a meeting chaired by Minister Yun Ho-jung and attended by related agencies, including police and fire departments. 

Participants shared inspection results concerning the safety measures in place at 33 high-priority locations nationwide and discussed safety management steps, including emergency contact systems and dispatched personnel. 

Yun urged the public to refrain from visiting Halloween celebration venues during hours when crowds are expected. He also called on the public to check the locations of exits and escape routes before visiting celebration venues. 

The interior ministry had earlier issued a crowd-safety alert at the "caution" level and designated the period from last Friday to this Sunday as the time for "Halloween crowd control countermeasures."

This coming Halloween will mark three years since the Itaewon crowd crush that killed 159 people.