Hours before the first fireworks were due to illuminate the river Saturday night, the spectacle was already visible on the ground.
Picnic mats covered coveted stretches of Yeouido and Ichon Hangang parks, with spectators arriving as early as Friday to stake out unobstructed views. Some areas were so densely claimed that little open grass remained by Saturday morning.
The scramble spilled online, where posts offered prime viewing spots, for prices ranging from less than 100,000 won ($72) to around 300,000 won.
Some residents of Han River-view apartments advertised access to their homes for people wanting to watch the show indoors, while others offered parking spaces near the festival grounds.
Restaurants and cafes overlooking the river were also cashing in on the annual surge in demand. One restaurant reportedly offered a pair of VIP seats for 6 million won, including unlimited barbecue and other services.
The rush prompted Seoul authorities to warn that unattended mats laid down before noon Saturday would be removed. Mats left without anyone present were subject to collection as the city sought to prevent individuals from monopolizing public space.
The unusually intense competition for space comes as the Seoul International Fireworks Festival marks its 22nd edition with a larger format.
For the first time, the festival opened with a separate eve program Friday, extending what had traditionally centered on a single day into a two-day event. Seoul has deployed about 6,800 safety personnel across the festival period and increased safety fencing and related equipment by 20 percent from last year.
The main fireworks show begins at 8 p.m. Saturday in Yeouido, with teams from South Korea, the United States and Britain taking turns above the Han River. Seoul estimates the wider festival will attract about 1 million spectators, including 400,000 to 500,000 in Yeouido and Ichon Hangang parks alone.
The festival, held under the theme "Your Infinite Colors," was moved roughly three weeks earlier than usual this year in consideration of the Chuseok holiday calendar and growing foreign tourist demand.
Britain will open the international competition with fireworks set to music including "Soda Pop" from Netflix's animated hit KPop Demon Hunters.
The U.S. team follows with a display built around music including "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana, while Hanwha will close the show with a performance inspired by Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night.
The Korean finale will also feature a sequence synchronized to singer Lee So-ra's "The Wind Is Blowing."
One of this year's main visual features will be an expanded use of Wonhyo Bridge.
"Tower fireworks" and additional bridge patterns will be incorporated into the show, while fireworks launched symmetrically over the river on either side of the bridge will form the festival's signature decalcomania-style display, designed to give spectators farther away a wider view.
The official program runs from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the fireworks scheduled from 8 p.m. The main Yeouido and Ichon viewing areas are free, while Nodeul Island is being operated entirely as a ticketed zone this year.
The scale of the crowd is also turning central Seoul into a vast crowd-management operation.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has concentrated officers around major entrances, subway stations and other areas where spectators are expected to converge.
Police special forces accompanied by detection dogs swept the festival grounds before the event for suspicious objects, amid concern over a recent spate of false bomb threats targeting crowded locations.
Police are also preparing for vehicle attacks or sudden acceleration accidents by installing barricades around vulnerable roads.
Detective teams and mobile investigation units have been positioned in congested areas and CCTV blind spots to respond to knife attacks and other crimes.
A high-elevation observation vehicle, allowing officers to monitor crowd density from about seven meters above ground, has also been deployed.
On the Han River, five police patrol boats will restrict vessel access between Mapo Bridge and Hangang Bridge during the festival.
Police said officers would crack down on unauthorized ticket sales and attempts to charge spectators for access to public viewing spaces. A dedicated investigation team is also monitoring the use of automated programs for fraudulent ticket reservations.
Transport restrictions are extensive. Yeouidong-ro between the southern end of Mapo Bridge and the 63 Building will be closed to vehicles from 3 p.m. until midnight Saturday. Wonhyo Bridge will also be fully closed during the main festival period, while 24 bus routes are being temporarily diverted.
Yeouinaru Station, the subway stop closest to the main festival grounds and traditionally one of the most congested points of the night, is scheduled to be bypassed by trains from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Police patrol cars and motorcycles have also been deployed along Olympic-daero, Gangbyeonbuk-ro and major Han River bridges to prevent motorists from stopping in traffic lanes to watch the fireworks.
Seoul urged spectators to use surrounding subway stations including Yeouido, Mapo and Saetgang rather than concentrating on Yeouinaru. The crowd-control preparations reflect the sheer scale the festival has reached since its launch more than two decades ago.
Seoul describes the event as one of the city's largest annual gatherings, regularly attracting more than 1 million people to official and unofficial viewing points along the river.
For spectators unable to secure a patch of Han River grass — or unwilling to pay someone else for one — Hanwha will livestream the show through its official online channels.
AJP Takeaways:
- Seoul deploys 6,800 safety personnel, closes roads and restricts subway access around Yeouido
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