On Saturday the 27th, about 1 million people are expected to flock to the Seoul World Fireworks Festival 2025 at Yeouido Hangang Park in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul. Police will deploy 3,400 personnel to manage safety.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on the 25th that it plans to manage safety to prevent a crowd crush, together with the Seoul city government and Hanwha, which are hosting the fireworks festival.
The fireworks festival will be held from 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the 27th. The "fireworks show" will run for 70 minutes from 7:20 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Starting at 1 a.m., visitors can take part in hands-on programs, and after the fireworks show ends, a "DJ after-party" will be held near the south end of Wonhyo Bridge.
On the 27th, police will deploy a total of 3,448 personnel for safety management at the fireworks festival, including 37 mobile units with about 2,200 officers and 22 mobile patrol teams with about 100 officers. Police forces will be concentrated at locations such as the Cheonsang Stairs in Yeouido Hangang Park, the entrance at the north end of Mapo Bridge, Turtle Ship Ferry, and Yongyang Bongjeojeong Park.
Although the fireworks festival takes place at Yeouido Hangang Park, spectators also gather in Seoul's Yongsan, Mapo, and Dongjak districts, where there are "prime viewing spots." The chiefs of the Yeongdeungpo, Yongsan, Mapo, and Dongjak police stations and the commander of the mobile unit have been designated as area-specific responsible officers.
Police will also enforce traffic controls. From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the 27th, Yeouidong-ro will be closed to all vehicles, and flexible controls will be implemented in five other zones including Yeouinaru-ro and Gukjegeumyung-ro.
On Mapo Bridge and Hangang-daero, one lower lane will be closed and used as a temporary pedestrian path, and one upper lane will be operated as an emergency lane for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
Yeouinaru Station on Seoul Subway Line 5, adjacent to the fireworks festival venue, may have its entrances and exits restricted or trains pass through without stopping, depending on crowd density. Police will deploy the high-altitude observation equipment introduced last year near Yeouinaru Station to monitor crowding conditions.
Police will also crack down firmly, including towing, on vehicles that are illegally parked or standing to watch the fireworks on Han River bridges or on expressways such as Gangbyeonbuk-ro and Olympic-daero.
The Seoul city government will reroute 19 bus lines that run along Yeouidong-ro, which will be fully closed from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the 27th. The Hangang Bus will not operate in consideration of public safety. Subways will add 18 extra trains on Line 5 and 62 on Line 9.
In addition, Seocho District will hold the Seoripul Music Festival for two days on the 27th and 28th on Banpo-daero between Seocho Station and the Seocho 3-dong intersection. Gangnam District will host the "Yeongdong-daero K-pop Concert" on the evening of the 27th on Yeongdong-daero (from the COEX intersection to Samseong Station intersection). Police plan to control traffic on some sections.
On the 28th, the Seoul Walk Festival, hosted by the Seoul city government, will run from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., starting at Dongdaemun History and Culture Park and continuing to Gwanghwamun intersection, and traffic disruptions are expected around Yulgok-ro.
Large-scale rallies with tens of thousands of participants are also scheduled in the downtown area, including Sejong-daero, this weekend, and traffic congestion is expected. The Climate Justice March Organizing Committee will hold a rally at the Dongshipja intersection in Jongno District on the 27th and march from 4 p.m. through Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station intersection and Sejong intersection to Gwanghwamun intersection. The conservative Liberty Unification Party will also hold a rally at Sejong intersection.