The festival, hosted by Hanwha Group, has drawn more than 1 million visitors every year since it began in 2000, as crowds gather along the Han River to watch fireworks light up the night sky for about two hours.
This year's spectacular fireworks display is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. on Saturday, featuring teams from Britain, the U.S. and South Korea.
In anticipation of huge crowds, the city government will deploy 45 patrol boats to monitor areas along the river, while Hanwha will track crowd density in real time through surveillance cameras. Traffic will also be restricted from 3 p.m. to midnight in the affected areas, with some bus routes temporarily detoured.
Retailers and restaurants nearby are also gearing up for a surge in demand as large crowds are expected. Convenience store chains including 7-Eleven, CU, Emart24 and GS25 are increasing their inventories and adding staff.
GS25 said some of its key stores have stocked up to 100 times their usual inventory of drinks, beer, ready-to-eat meals and other festival essentials. 7-Eleven is also preparing up to 20 times its usual supply of ice cups, drinks and beer.
Restaurants and cafés are also catering to visitors willing to pay for premium viewing spots. Starbucks sold more than 50 viewing seats at its store there for a whopping 200,000 won (US$148) to 300,000 won each, with all seats selling out in less than a minute.
Ashley Queens also offered special festival-themed packages priced from 590,000 won to 1.29 million won, combining buffet dining with a spot to watch the fireworks. Despite the exorbitant prices, the packages sold out almost immediately.
AJP Takeaways
- Seoul is preparing for about 1 million visitors at this weekend’s Seoul International Fireworks Festival, with more than 5,000 police and security personnel and 45 patrol boats deployed for crowd and emergency management.
- Businesses near the Han River are stocking up for a surge in demand, with convenience stores increasing supplies and staffing. Some GS25 stores have prepared up to 100 times their usual inventory of festival essentials.
- Premium fireworks viewing spots are in high demand despite steep prices. Starbucks sold viewing seats for 200,000 won to 300,000 won each, while Ashley Queens offered packages costing up to 1.29 million won, with both selling out almost immediately.
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