Last Saturday, the 907 Climate Justice March took place along Seoul’s Gangnam Boulevard. With over 30,000 people marching down the streets, this protest left an indelible mark on the climate change movement. 

The climate march sought to address the recent pollution of Naeseong Stream. Many individuals dressed up as storks, one of the endangered species that used to populate the stream, to call for further action regarding proper waste management. Besides the concern for the climate, many individuals had concerns for the protesters themselves.

“This reminds me of a similar event in Itaewon,” Seunghoon Ryu (11), a Seoul Halloween crowd rush attendee, said. “30,000 people in a relatively narrow street doesn’t really rest well with me. A relatively similar situation happened a few years back but it is certainly nice to see that this time around the officials have put more thought into marshalling the event.”

In contrast to previous events that had lax safety measures, the 2024 Gangam Climate March effectively set both a precedent for environmental activism and mindful protesting. Police officers were stationed at every block to manage crowd flow and barriers were placed at key intersections to regulate traffic. With the experience of successfully facilitating a potentially disastrous public crowding event, the South Korean government will continue to improve its approach to managing public gatherings in the future.