Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Seoul deploys 6,800 safety personnel for weekend fireworks festival
The 2025 Seoul International Fireworks Festival is underway. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
By Jhoo Dong-chan
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it will deploy 6,800 safety personnel and expand traffic controls around this year's Seoul International Fireworks Festival, which for the first time will run over two days, with a preliminary program Friday and the main fireworks show Saturday.
The main show begins at 8 p.m. Saturday at Yeouido Hangang Park along the Han River. The event, organized by Hanwha Corp. along with the city, typically draws more than 1 million spectators. This year's theme is "Your Infinite Colors," with teams from Korea, the United States and Britain.
The city urged visitors to use public transit and avoid Yeouinaru Station, the subway stop closest to the venue, in favor of nearby Yeouido, Mapo or Saetgang stations instead. Wonhyo Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, and Yeouidong-ro, the road running from the southern end of Mapo Bridge to the 63 Building, will close from 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday, rerouting two dozen bus routes.
Seoul Subway Line 5 will add 18 extra trips and Line 9 will add 65 during peak hours, with three to five times the usual number of safety personnel stationed at 21 nearby stations. If crowding becomes severe at Yeouinaru Station, trains may pass through without stopping or exits may be closed, the city said.
Rental returns for Seoul's public bike-sharing service and other shared e-scooters and bikes will be suspended in the Yeouido and Ichon areas from Friday morning through Sunday morning. The Hangang River Bus water-taxi service will suspend or shorten operations from Thursday through Saturday for safety, and sections of the river between Seogang and Hangang bridges will be closed to boats at various times.
The city will run a joint safety command center with Hanwha, police, fire authorities and four district offices, along with 45 patrol boats on the river, six emergency medical stations, and 94 temporary restrooms. About 1,200 Hanwha employee volunteers will help clean up the area afterward. Officials also advised residents with respiratory conditions to prepare KF80-rated masks, citing possible temporary spikes in fine dust from the fireworks.
"We've built a tight response system with related agencies so there are no safety blind spots at the venue, subway stations or on the river," said an official.
"Please check public transit information in advance and use nearby stations, following safety personnel's guidance."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.