Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Friday ordered government officials and police to ensure public safety and mitigate risks in areas where crowds are expected to gather for upcoming Halloween celebrations.

According to the prime minister’s office, Kim also instructed the interior ministry, local governments, police precincts and fire agencies to launch a real-time monitoring system to better respond to signs of overcrowding and accidents.

"Although major national events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation will coincide with [Halloween], nothing is more important than the safety of the people," Kim said.

This coming Halloween will mark three years since the tragic Itaewon crowd crush that killed more than 150 people.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has classified Friday through November 2 from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. as the "Halloween Special Measures Period," during which joint inspections will be conducted across 33 key regions, including Seoul, Gwangju and Gyeonggi Province.

The Prime Minister's Office has predicted that there will be more Halloween festivities this year than there have been in past years due to the mild weather, a possible surge in tourists and the fact that Halloween falls on a Friday.