[Seoul=Newsis] Reporter Choi Jin-seok = On the afternoon of the 7th, at Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul, the dazzling fireworks of the Korean team are decorating the night sky at the ‘2023 Seoul World Fireworks Festival’. This year’s festival was held under the theme of ‘Bright future that shines brightly with diverse colors for tomorrow (Lights of Tomorrow)’. Oct. 7, 2023. [email protected]
“[Seoul=Newsis] Intern Reporter Choi Yoon-seo = The competition to secure a spot at the ‘Seoul World Fireworks Festival’, which will be held next month on the 5th at Yeouido Han River Park in Seoul, is intensifying as usual.
On the 30th, many used trading sites have been posting ads such as looking for a space to view the fireworks festival, transferring parking tickets available during the festival period, and offering to rent apartments with a view of the Han River for half a day up to a maximum of one day.
There are also posts offering to reserve a spot early in the morning for a fee, renting out rooftops of buildings around the Han River, and even renting out apartments to watch the festival from home. One post stated, “I will rent out my apartment because I won’t be home during the festival day,” and “It is available from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. with a view of the Han River directly. The price is 450,000 won.”
Well-known high-rise hotel rooms near the festival site, known for their prime location, are already fully booked. In fact, the rate for staying in a suite with a view of the Han River at a hotel in Yeouido on the day of the fireworks festival is 3 million won including tax. This room is known to usually cost 1 million won on weekends. Other rooms are also about 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than the usual weekend nightly rate.
The situation is similar for space rental companies near the festival site, such as restaurants or party rooms with a good view. For instance, a Han River view party room located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is being sold in the mid-500,000 won range on a used trading platform. A riverside restaurant is known to be selling a VIP table that is usually available for 59,000 won for 599,000 won on the day of the fireworks festival.
In addition, many restaurants that offer views of the fireworks festival are adding at least 200,000 won to well over double the normal price for their package deals.
Meanwhile, this year’s Seoul World Fireworks Festival will start with the opening ceremony at 7:00 p.m. on the 5th at Yeouido Han River Park, followed by fireworks shows by the Japanese and American teams at Mapo Bridge to Hangang Railway Bridge area. The finale will be lit by the Korean team from Wonyo Bridge to Hangang Railway Bridge area.
According to the organizer, Hanwha, it is expected that nearly 500,000 people will gather at this festival. Therefore, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to station ambulances at subway line 5 stations such as Yeouinaru, Yeouido, and Mapo, as well as Saetgang station on line 9, where a large crowd is expected to gather.
Furthermore, they plan to deploy safety management professionals at the northern end of Mapo Bridge to control the road entry and guide the citizens to evacuate in an orderly manner. In case of emergency, a fire situation room will be set up on site with about 330 firefighters scheduled to be deployed promptly.