More than 30,000 people are expected to gather in Itaewon tonight on Halloween.

Police have stepped up safety management by deploying special forces armored vehicles and police dogs.

Police stated that while up to about 30,000 people gathered around Itaewon Station last year, they are preparing for an even larger crowd this year as Halloween falls on a Saturday.

Anticipating the peak crowd between 9:00 PM tonight and 1:00 AM tomorrow, police have designated six sloped alleys stretching from the World Food Street toward Itaewon Station as major high-risk zones for intensive management.

Accordingly, vehicle traffic will be completely restricted from the Itaewon 119 Safety Center to Noksapyeong Square starting at 6:00 PM this evening.

Police stated that if congestion increases further, they plan to block crowd inflows on both sides of the World Food Street and enforce one-way pedestrian traffic in crowded areas such as the sloped alleys.

Around 300 safety personnel and others have been deployed to Hongdae, where crowds comparable to Itaewon are expected, and safety fences have been installed in various alleys to guide right-side one-way traffic.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has raised the crisis alert level to "Caution" for the Halloween weekend and plans to deploy a total of 7,800 personnel to 28 crowded areas nationwide, including Itaewon and Hongdae.

Police announced plans to crack down on imitation police uniforms and other items that could cause confusion on the streets, warning that using mock firearms or knives for cosplay in densely crowded areas could be subject to punishment.

Reported by Kim Hyeong-rae | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News