1 Million Gather at Yeouido Fireworks Festival... "Even Ddareungi and Delivery Stop"

Full Vehicle Ban on Yeouidong-ro Until 11 PM
Rental of Ddareungi and Shared Kickboards Suspended in Yeouido
Coupang Eats Halts Deliveries in Yeouido... Takeout Only Available

On the 7th, more than one million people are expected to gather at Yeouido Hangang Park for the 'Seoul World Fireworks Festival 2023,' prompting the Seoul Metropolitan Government to implement comprehensive support policies including road closures. Food delivery service companies have also taken emergency measures, such as suspending deliveries within Yeouido in the afternoon.

Seoul City will fully close Yeouidong-ro from the south end of Mapo Bridge to in front of the 63 Building from 2 PM to 11 PM. Accordingly, all 20 bus routes that usually pass through this section (14 Seoul city buses, 2 village buses, 1 airport bus, and 3 Gyeonggi buses) will be rerouted. Additionally, at the request of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, 14 bus routes passing over Hangang Bridge will not stop at bus stops such as the Hangang Bridge Observatory Cafe and Nodeul Island from 4 PM to 9 PM.

The scene from last year's 'Seoul World Fireworks Festival'
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Public bicycles 'Ddareungi' and shared personal mobility devices (Kickgoing, Ssingssing) will also suspend rentals and returns temporarily. Furthermore, the city plans to relocate abandoned public bicycles and shared personal mobility devices around the event area to other locations to minimize inconvenience to pedestrians.

Subway Lines 5 and 9 will increase the number of train operations by a total of 70 trips from 5 PM to 6 PM, when passenger congestion is expected. Since all four exits of Yeouinaru Station (Line 5), the closest station to the event site, will be closed from 8 PM to 11 PM after the event ends, visitors must use nearby stations to return home. Instead, to facilitate the swift departure of crowds after the event, 26 bus routes passing through Yeouido Transfer Center, Yeouido Station, and Yeouinaru Station will operate with increased frequency from 8 PM to 10 PM, aligned with the event’s end time.

Yeouinaru Station will continuously monitor congestion from the afternoon and flexibly implement measures such as non-stop train passage and temporary closure of station entrances. If trains pass without stopping, announcements inside the station and trains, as well as on-site staff, will guide passengers to use the next stations, including Yeouido Station (Lines 5 and 9), Mapo Station (Line 5), and Saetgang Station (Line 9 and Sinlim Line).

On the day, 277 safety personnel?more than four times the usual 63?will be deployed at 16 stations around the event site, including Yeouido Station and Yeouinaru Station, to protect pedestrians safely and to strictly crack down on illegal parking and stopping around the event area.

The city has also requested cooperation from the taxi industry. To prevent spectators from concentrating on bridges, passengers will be asked not to board or alight on Hangang Bridge, Mapo Bridge, and other bridges. Additionally, enforcement personnel and CCTV-equipped vehicles will be deployed on roads and bridges near Ichon, Noryangjin, and Yeouido to tow vehicles that repeatedly violate parking regulations despite on-site guidance.

Food delivery services will also be restricted in the Yeouido area on the day.

Woowa Brothers, operator of Baedal Minjok, announced that from 2 PM, Baemin1 service in Yeouido will be operated flexibly according to the situation on site, with the possibility of service suspension for safety reasons. In addition to Yeouido, Baemin1 service will be operated restrictively in nearby districts such as Yeongdeungpo-gu, Dongjak-gu, Mapo-gu, and Yongsan-gu if affected by the fireworks festival.

Coupang Eats will suspend deliveries in the Yeouido area until 11 PM, allowing only takeout orders during this time. Coupang Eats explained that this decision was made to ensure the safety of stores, customers, and riders. Yogiyo will also temporarily suspend services in parts of Yeouido during the fireworks festival hours for safety reasons.

The 19th Seoul World Fireworks Festival’s theme is "Lights of Tomorrow," symbolizing a bright future illuminating tomorrow’s world with vibrant colors, featuring participation from Korea, China, and Poland. The festival organizer (Hanwha Group) has provided safety guidelines for visitors to enjoy the event, which are as follows:

▲ Bring outerwear, knee blankets, and soft mats ▲ Prepare snacks and drinks in advance ▲ Dispose of trash in designated clean zones using provided plastic bags ▲ Children and the elderly must be accompanied by guardians and wear identification bracelets to prevent getting lost ▲ Be cautious of fireworks noise during viewing ▲ Do not sit in passageways within the festival area ▲ Prepare safety glasses to avoid fireworks debris ▲ Avoid personal tents ▲ Bicycles and inline skates are prohibited from entering.