South Korea’s interior minister checks safety plans as 1 million expected at Seoul fireworks festival

South Korea is preparing for more than 1 million visitors at this year’s Seoul International Fireworks Festival, prompting an inspection of crowd and emergency measures at Yeouido Hangang Park.

Interior Minister Yoon Ho-joong met with officials from Seoul, police and fire authorities, Seoul Metro and organizer Hanwha to review site management, crowd control, traffic plans and fire prevention.

The festival will begin with a pre-event program on Oct. 4 and continue with its main event on Oct. 5. It will be held over two days for the first time.

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We will do our utmost to ensure thorough safety management so that the fireworks filling Seoul’s night sky remain a special memory.

Yoon visited nearby Yeouinaru Station to examine plans for trains to pass through without stopping when platforms become too crowded, as well as possible station-entrance closures. He also checked preparations for police vehicles carrying public-address equipment to manage crowds around the station.

At the festival site, officials inspected how securely booths and other facilities had been fastened against strong winds, the placement of fire extinguishers and the operation of fire-safety stations. They also reviewed ambulance deployment and evacuation routes in the viewing area. Yoon urged visitors to stay outside areas blocked by safety fences and follow instructions from safety personnel, saying authorities would work to ensure the fireworks became a special memory.

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Visitors should not enter areas blocked by safety fences or other barriers, and should actively cooperate with the guidance of safety personnel.