No.1 Seoul festival you must visit in
October
Let me introduce you the one of the biggest firework event held in the center of Seoul every year between late September and October when the fall begins.
Event’s name is “Seoul International Fireworks Festival with Hanwha”.
It is held at Hangang Park and the Han Riverside area in Yeouido, Seoul, and is jointly hosted by Hanwha Group, which is a representative conglomerate in Korea. in Korea. In terms of the scale, it is one of the two representative fireworks festivals in Korea along with the Busan Fireworks Festival .
About the festival
The Seoul International Fireworks Festival is the best festival in Korea that has been consistently carried out by Hanwha Group as a social contribution project since 2000 to bring joy to the daily lives of citizens who lead busy lives.
Every year, world-class fireworks companies are invited to display fantastic fireworks in the night sky of Yeouido, and various side events are held during the week. The ‘Multimedia Fireworks Show’, which Hanwha Co., Ltd. is proud of, is Asia’s highest-level fireworks show that combines fireworks, music, and laser production, and more than 1 million citizens visit Yeouido every year to see it. Hanwha Group, which has driven the growth of Korea’s basic industries starting from the gunpowder business, is currently a conglomerate that operates the world’s No. 1 solar energy business, Korea’s largest chemical business, and financial and service businesses, and is one of Korea’s leading companies.
Expect Traffic
Since the event is held in the center of Seoul,
it makes visitors very accessible. You can take the subway and bus to see it.
This is possible because the width of the Han River in Seoul is large. An
enormous number of people, approximately 500,000 to 1 million people will gather
for this event.
It may sound obvious, but you should not bring cars or bicycles , or if you do, it is better to park them quite far away from the event venue and walk to the event venue. Since this is an event that has become very popular throughout the country, Hell Gates will be opened on all roads in Yeouido starting from noon on the day of the event.
If you are coming from Gangbuk, bridges such as Mapo Bridge , Wonhyo Bridge , and Hangang Bridge also restrict vehicle queues and the edge lanes to pedestrian viewing areas, so it is the same as Hell Gate. The Yeouidong-ro section around the event venue is completely closed to vehicle traffic.
If you want to enjoy riding a bicycle and
enjoy fireworks as a bonus, note that trying to get around by bicycle is
virtually impossible due to the large crowds of people. And also riding a
vehicle around the event area is not a good idea. If you must bring a car, our
advice is to park few stations away from the main event and ride the subway, or
walk few stations.
When going to see it with friends, colleagues, or lovers, we recommend using Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 5 , Seoul Subway Line 9 , and Seoul Light Rail Sillim Line . However, Yeouinaru Station, which is right in front of the event venue, is very crowded, so there is a high chance of passing through without stopping.
To the south of the Han River, use Yeouido Station, Saetgang Station, and Daebang Station, and to the north of the Han River, use Mapo Station, Yongsan Station, and Ichon Station, and then walk to the event venue. Once the event ends, the area around Yeouido 63 Building literally turns into a mass walking area, so walking out and then taking the subway can be overwhelmingly faster than using other means of transportation such as private cars, buses, or taxis. Please note that the event day is usually Saturday, so the last subway train ends an hour early.
Watching location
Do you want to know the best spot to see the fireworks?
- The best place is the main event venue: There is music (BGM) selected to match the fireworks, and above all, you can enjoy everything, including the fireworks exploding from low positions. As you get further away from the event venue, you cannot hear the music, and you cannot see the fireworks exploding at a low location.
- Ichon Hangang Park: However, if the purpose is to take pictures or you want avoid traffics and crowds, Ichon Hangang Park is highly recommended. Ichon Hangang Park is located across from Yeouido Hangan Park. Although you can’t see the fireworks up close, it is a place where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Han River. The fireworks seen in the Ichon district is large and close. And this place is definitely less crowded than the main event hall in Yeouido. And since it is possible to take pictures of fireworks with the high-rise buildings of Yeouido in the background, you could have a unique experience watching the fireworks show from a different perspective.
- Bridges: Many people gather not only at the main event site, but also at the bridges nearby Hangang Bridge such as Mapo bridge, Wonhyo bridge, and Dongjak bridge that passes through Yeouido. In addition, many people also admire the high-rise buildings in the Yeouido and Mapo areas, including the 63 Building. You will see people camped out on the rooftops of all buildings near Yeouido, where fireworks can be seen. Firework is also visible from Namsan Seoul Tower, although it may not be large.
- Building: We recommend several high-rise buildings or apartments near the venue. Not only is the Yeouido area an open area, but the scale of the firework itself was quite large in the first place. Of course, there is a disadvantage that the sense of presence is greatly reduced.
- Hotels or Cruise ships: People who want to spend money to see the sights comfortably can use nearby hotels or cruise ships . In the case of cruise ships, there is a course that takes you from Jamsil to Yeouido and back to Jamsil dock, so you can at least avoid Hell Gate, and hotels in Yeouido also sell packages that provide accommodations and viewing fireworks from the lounge. Hotels and cruises fill up quickly, so you need to make your reservations quickly.
- Some other places: The vicinity of Noryangjin Station is also a good viewing location. In particular, Mega Study Tower, Noryangjin Fish Market, and Yuryukshinmyo are said to be major viewing locations. If you are a student at Chung-Ang University, go to the building with an open rooftop. It is a popular attraction among current students. If there is an open view in the direction of Yeouido, it can be observed so widely that it can be seen with the naked eye not only in Gangnam-gu and Seongdong-gu but also in Dongdaemun-gu and Nowon-gu . Therefore, if you are lucky enough to meet various conditions, you can see it from your balcony within a 10-15km radius of Yeouido, and if you just turn on the sound on YouTube, you can get a similar sense of realism. If you don’t want to go out and go to crowded places, it’s okay to use this method.
Festival in 2023
Date: October 7th, 2023, on Saturday.
Address: 330 Yeouidong-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
Fee: Free. There is no fee charged.
After party
There will be spectacular and exciting DJ performance by famous EDM DJs. Don’t miss this night party.
Hours : 10/7(Sat) 20:40-21:30
Lovation: Main stage in Yeouido Hangang Park
Visit their offical website for more information.
Date of the festival will vary every year but it is held between late September to early October on Saturday. Check out for the exact date and plan for your trip.
Enjoy this beautiful firework with your love ones.
