"From Gwanaksan Mountain, you can look down on the fireworks over Yeouido at a glance, and it's really beautiful. I think there will be more people this year, so I plan to go up earlier than usual to get a good spot."
A person surnamed Jang, 30, who says they have climbed to the flagpole at Gwaneumsa on Gwanaksan Mountain every year for the past three years to watch the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, said this. Jang said, "This year I plan to bring a portable tripod to shoot the panorama," adding, "I'm going to pack one whole fried chicken and watch while eating it with my girlfriend, who likes hiking."
With the 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival set for Oct. 5, more people are preparing for night hikes to watch. As crowds flock to Yeouido and Ichon Hangang Park, where the fireworks take place, and so-called "prime spots" change hands for hundreds of thousands of won, mountains have emerged as hidden hot spots.
On Oct. 4, chat rooms such as "Fireworks festival Gwanaksan Mountain climb" were being shared on social media (SNS). People who feel uneasy about setting out on a night hike alone are recruiting companions to hike together. They also share tips like "Bring a folding chair or a flashlight."
Writer Lee Won-chang, who has organized a Gwanaksan Mountain night climb to coincide with the Seoul International Fireworks Festival for nine years, said he can feel the growing interest. He said that when he recruits 20 people for the climb, it fills up in 10 minutes.
Lee said, "Mountains with unobstructed views toward Yeouido at sunset and at night are being shared like pilgrimage sites for watching the fireworks," adding, "Not only Gwanaksan Mountain, Inwangsan, and Namsan, but also Seodaemun Ansan, Hoamsan, and Dolsan are very popular."
The biggest reason people take to the mountains to enjoy the Seoul International Fireworks Festival is that they can avoid the crowds. A person surnamed Ahn, 30, plans to climb Inwangsan again this year to watch the fireworks, as last year. Ahn said, "I watched the fireworks in Yeouido five years ago and was almost crushed by the crowd, and getting home was hard," adding, "By contrast, when I watched the fireworks from the mountaintop with open views in every direction, it was truly rapturous."
It also helps that the mountains where you can enjoy the Seoul Fireworks Festival are relatively easy to climb. Writer Choi Ju-hwan has been climbing to the flagpole on Gwanaksan Mountain since last year to shoot the festival nightscape. Choi said, "Gwanaksan can be climbed from Sadang in 30 minutes, and the angles are more varied and prettier." Choi added, "There weren't few people last year either, and I almost hope it doesn't become too widely known."
There is also an outlook that even more people will hike this year in particular, as the expense for prime spots has risen. Cafes and restaurants around Yeouido and Ichon Hangang Park that offer views of the Seoul Fireworks Festival sold seat packages ranging from as little as 200,000 won to as much as 3 million won. Some who staked out spots by spreading mats in Hangang Park are reportedly asking around 300,000 won for four people via secondhand transaction platforms.
Police said they will deploy about 4,700 officers on Oct. 4, when the 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival eve event takes place, and on the 5th to manage the crowds. They also plan to station officers at places cited on SNS as prime viewing spots—such as the northern ramp of Mapo Bridge, Ichon Turtle Ship Ferry Dock, and Yongyang Bongjeojeong Park—to prepare for accidents.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will also deploy a total of 6,800 safety personnel and expand subway and bus service on the 5th from 7 to 8 p.m. and from 10 to 11 p.m., when crowds are expected to peak.
The Seoul International Fireworks Festival is a large-scale event that more than 1 million people attend every year and is a signature social contribution program that the Hanwha(000880) group has continued since 2000. This year's festival theme is "Your Infinite Colors." The main show is scheduled to run on the 5th from 8 p.m. in the order of the United Kingdom team, the United States team, and the Hanwha team.