As Lotte Property & Development resumed a countdown event at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul, on the 1st for the New Year, some citizens said they were disappointed with the scale of the fireworks show. The length shrank to about 1 minute from over 11 minutes in the past, and the launch points were limited to the very top of the building.
According to related industries on the 6th, Lotte Property & Development held "2026 Lotte World Tower The Countdown" at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil just before midnight on the 1st. A media facade (projecting lights and video), and a laser show were planned, but the centerpiece was the fireworks show staged right after the 60-second countdown to the New Year.
This year's fireworks show lasted about 1 minute. That is similar in scale to the 2024 event. At that time, 2,500 rounds—more than double the 2023 show (about 900 rounds, 30 seconds)—lit up the sky for 1 minute. The show was canceled entirely the previous year because the national mourning period overlapped with the Jeju Air Muan Airport passenger plane disaster.
However, reactions from citizens who watched the revived fireworks show were somewhat cool. Videos of this year's fireworks shared on various social networking services (SNS) drew comments such as "Lotte World Tower, despair edition," "It was so short I was flustered," and "Wasn't that an error?" Comparison videos with fireworks shows held at the same time at places like Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) were also posted.
In particular, the perceived difference in scale was greater among citizens who remember the fireworks for the April 2017 opening, the 2018 New Year, and the May 2019 fireworks commemorating peace on the Korean Peninsula. The 2019 show ran 11 minutes and 50 seconds, the longest in the world. It was 30 seconds longer than the opening show, and more than 30,000 rounds were launched from about 750 spots on the exterior walls.
The fireworks show that began with the 2017 opening of Lotte World Tower has continued with repeated suspensions and resumptions. However, compared with the early years, the scale has been greatly reduced. That is the result of a mix of complaints from nearby residents and merchants about inconvenience, safety issues, and expense burdens.
Lotte Group was bombarded with various complaints after the early fireworks shows. For the 2018 New Year, 2.5 tons (t) of paper snow scattered from the air became a problem. Riding the wind, the snow covered nearby roads and dwellings, causing damage to residents. Complaints have also been raised about fine dust, noise, and controls of businesses and roads.
In addition, as the group tightens reins on improving its financial structure over the past few years, some say it is difficult to inject a large budget into the fireworks show as before. Because of the unique nature of a supertall tower, the Lotte World Tower fireworks show carries heavier burdens in preparation, safety management, and expense than a typical fireworks show.
Lotte World Tower must use "device fireworks," in which the launch tube and gunpowder are integrated and spew outward, rather than "ground-to-air fireworks" fired from the ground into the air. The technical difficulty is high, and the supertall installation work is required, costing tens of billions of won or more. Additional expenditure is unavoidable when factoring in safety system setup and staffing.
Regarding the launch locations, Lotte Property & Development said seasonal factors had to be considered. Unlike the large-scale shows of April 2017 and May 2019, the New Year event takes place in winter, imposing limits on exterior wall work. With risks of strong winds and icing, the positions and scale of gunpowder installation inevitably had to be limited.
A preparation period of several months is another variable. To stage a New Year fireworks show, planning and preparation usually must begin in the first half of the year. Procuring gunpowder is relatively difficult: bulk purchases at once are hard, and safety approvals must be obtained step by step.
A Lotte Property & Development official said, "Even amid internal and external variables, we are working every year to expand the scale of the event to meet citizens' expectations," adding, "This year, we made the event a bit richer not only with fireworks but also with a laser show."