"Because it's an event that happens once a year, I really wanted to see it in person with my kids. It's hard to come up from the provinces, but the fireworks are so famous."
On the afternoon of the 5th, around Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul. Even before sunset, riverside spots along the Han were crowded with people carrying picnic mats and portable chairs. Not only Seoul residents but also family groups who came up from the provinces to watch the fireworks stood out. Some people arrived hours before the event began to grab a good spot.
The "Seoul International Fireworks Festival," which Hanwha Group hosts every year, was held at 8 p.m. that day around Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul. Fireworks teams from three countries—Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom—took part, stitching Seoul's autumn night with fireworks.
Hanwha is known to have投入 about 13 billion won in this year's event. That is because significant expense goes not only to launching the fireworks but also to preparing venue safety management, traffic control, and amenities for spectators. Safety management expense rose about 17% from the previous year (3.85 billion won).
In particular, this year the largest-ever number of personnel was投入 for safety management to prepare for massive crowds. According to Hanwha, about 5,000 safety and order-maintenance personnel were deployed around Yeouido to carry out the country's largest private festival, which draws around 1 million spectators each year to one place, without safety incidents.
Because hundreds of thousands converge at once in a tight space, preventing potential safety accidents during spectator movement and the trip home is considered more important than the time fireworks are launched. Personnel were stationed throughout the venue's surroundings to manage crowd flow and maintain order.
They also fully mobilized the crowd-density measurement app "Orange Safety," linked with telecom operators, and an integrated CCTV control system using KT's 5G network slicing technology.
Hanwha began the fireworks festival in 2000. Except for some periods when the event could not be held due to the aftermath of COVID-19, it has continued annually for more than 20 years. Hanwha said it has become a representative social-contribution event in which corporations bear the expense directly to offer large-scale attractions to citizens free of charge.
Hanwha continues the fireworks festival at such great expense with the aim of creating an "event anyone can enjoy together." Unlike performances where only certain spectators pay to participate, the idea is that anyone who comes out to the riverside can watch the fireworks under the same sky.
A Hanwha official said, "Fireworks are not an event for only certain people but content that everyone looking up at the sky can enjoy together," adding, "The reason we keep holding the event is so many citizens can feel happy as they watch beautiful scenes at the same moment."
Even before the fireworks began, citizens staked out spots along the riverside and spent time with family, partners, and friends. In many places, people shared snacks or took photos while waiting for the fireworks to start.
One citizen said, "Even though I know it's crowded every year, it feels completely different when you come see it in person," adding, "The kids love it, so we come out together even if it's tiring."
There were also spectators who came up from the provinces. One family said, "It's not easy to come all the way to Seoul to see the fireworks festival, but we came because we wanted to make a special memory with our family," adding, "We're excited because it will be different to see it in person on-site than on a phone."
Meanwhile, some residents near Yeouido also voiced discomfort. Every time the event is held, massive crowds cause traffic jams and pack public transit, and trash and noise issues repeat after the event. One resident said, "The festival itself is good, but it's hard for people living nearby to get around," adding, "Since it's an event that draws many people, we hope they will pay attention to order and post-event cleanup as well."
Meanwhile, about 1,200 employees in Hanwha's volunteer corps will voluntarily continue with a "clean campaign," tidying up areas around Yeouido Hangang Park late into the night after the festival ends.