Fireworks light up the autumn night during the 2024 Seoul World Fireworks Festival at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul last year. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — As Seoul prepares to host the 2025 World Fireworks Festival this Saturday along the Han River, demand for prime viewing spots has ignited a frenzy of resales, steep markups, and even makeshift rentals.
Online marketplaces are filled with offers ranging from balcony access in Han River–view apartments — sometimes priced at 400,000 to 550,000 won ($290–$400) for just 30 minutes — to parking passes near the venue sold for as much as 300,000 won. Some sellers even offer to secure space on the grass, complete with mats.
Though organizers, led by Hanwha, distributed tickets for official seating through lotteries and corporate partners, resale listings with price tags of 150,000 to 300,000 won remain widespread despite warnings that such transactions are illegal. Vendors insist the tickets are valid, citing the absence of names on them.
Luxury hotels overlooking the Han are also cashing in. A suite at a well-known riverside hotel, typically priced around 7 million won, sold out for 13 million won this weekend. Starbucks’ new Yeouido Han River Park branch sold its reservation-only seats within 30 minutes, with resellers flipping them online for double the price.
Authorities are bracing for more than one million spectators. Seoul police will deploy over 3,400 officers and special units to control crowds, while traffic will be restricted on several major roads around Yeouido from the afternoon until late evening. The fireworks display, the festival’s centerpiece, will run for 70 minutes starting at 7:20 p.m.
In an effort to reduce the mountains of trash left behind in previous years, organizers will launch a “10 Minutes Slowly” campaign, encouraging spectators to spend a few minutes tidying their spots before leaving.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
