"Pay to Watch Fireworks from the Balcony"...Appears in Secondhand Market

Fireworks Festival Held for the First Time in 3 Years... "Apartment Balcony for Rent at 500,000 Won"
Posts Asking "Please Rent It to Me" in Exchange for Rent Appear

The Seoul World Fireworks Festival hosted by Hwanhwa Group will be held tomorrow. The photo shows the 'Seoul World Fireworks Festival' held in 2019. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] On the 8th, the 'Seoul World Fireworks Festival 2022' will be held at Hangang Park. As the fireworks festival is resuming after three years due to COVID-19, Hanwha Group announced that it will use the largest amount of gunpowder in history.

News of the grand-scale Hangang fireworks festival returning after a long time led some residents of apartments near Hangang Park to post messages offering their apartment balconies for rent at a set price on the day of the festival.

On the 6th, a post appeared on the secondhand trading platform Danggeun Market stating, "Balcony rental available for viewing the fireworks festival on October 8th from the 0th floor and above of line 0, unit 0, building 0 of 00 Apartment."

After three years since COVID-19, the fireworks festival resumed, and a post appeared on the secondhand trading platform offering apartment balconies for rent at a fixed price. Photo by Danggeun Market

The post said, "To share the best view from 00 Apartment, the balcony is available for rent from 5 PM to 9 PM," and added, "Please contact us if you are interested in photography or want to enjoy the fireworks festival from the best spot," setting the rental price at 500,000 KRW.

Some app users also inquired about rental prices after specifying apartment names, building numbers, and unit numbers, saying, "I want to rent a balcony to film the fireworks festival."

Meanwhile, the 'World Fireworks Festival 2022' will be held on the 8th from 1 PM to 9:30 PM at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul. The opening ceremony starts at 7 PM, followed by the main fireworks show beginning at 7:20 PM. The theme of the fireworks festival is 'We Hope Again,' symbolizing comfort for lives exhausted by COVID-19 and the launching of sparks of dreams and hope once more.

In anticipation of the fireworks festival resuming after three years, the enthusiasm of citizens to find prime viewing spots has caused accommodation prices around Yeouido to rise sharply. Currently, rooms in nearby hotels with views of the fireworks are fully booked, and some hotels have sparked controversy by charging over 1.3 million KRW for same-day room rates. Tickets for the viewing seats are also being resold for up to 200,000 KRW.