<strong>YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea</strong> - Halloween at Yongsan Garrison gave families a night dedicated to trick-or-treaters prowling the streets for candy.
Ghosts, goblins and fairies ran door-to-door to receive chocolate and sweets from generous souls.
Craig Nieman, a Yongsan resident who welcomed trick-or-treaters with his son Isaac, said the evening was "very, very active."
"There are more kids than ever," Nieman said. "It's refreshing to see everyone so excited about Halloween."
Many residents decked out their homes for the Halloween holiday with scarecrows and cobwebs.
"This Halloween is a treat for the children and for us parents as well," said Leslie Ayson, whose door never seemed to run out of sweets.
Some parents even joined in the fun with enthusiasm, boasting costumes of their own.
Yongsan community also invited 55 Korean elementary school students from nearby Haengdang School to celebrate America's spookiest holiday together.
Led by volunteers from Seoul American Middle School and High School, goblins and fairies dispersed in groups to cover as many neighborhoods as possible. Official trick-or-treating hours were 6-8:30 p.m.
"This is so much fun," said Korean 6th grader Kim Se-hoon as he approached a door in a witch costume complete with a purple wig and makeup. "This is the first time I'm trick-or-treating in an American neighborhood and I got so many candies."
Whether it was about Halloween or about the candy, everyone was certainly excited.
"Meeting American friends and getting the candies was my favorite part," said Korean 4th-grader Jung Sang-woo with his bag bursting with candy.
"We wanted to give our students a chance to experience a foreign culture, and become familiar with Halloween traditions," said Park Mee-ryung, the Haeng-dang teacher who helped organized the visit. "Our students had a far better time than they expected. Hopefully we can come back next year."
Yongsan Military Police helped to make the Halloween celebration a safe event.
"Lots of kids are out tonight on the roads," said Staff Sgt. Samuel Betancourt, one of many MPs who controlled traffic and made sure that drivers respected crosswalks. "We're out here to make sure they stay safe."
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