Why did Hanwha move the 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival to early September?

Hanwha said the earlier date avoids overlapping with Chuseok, one of Korea’s biggest travel periods. The company also said it wanted the festival to better align with the tourist season.

What safety measures will Hanwha use for the 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival?

Hanwha said it will deploy a record 4,700 safety and crowd control personnel, including 1,200 employee volunteers. It will also use Orange Safety and CCTV cameras around Yeouido and nearby areas to monitor crowd flow and pedestrian movement.

Which fireworks teams will participate in the 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival?

Teams representing Korea, the United States and Britain will take part in the festival. Hanwha said each team will showcase techniques distinct to its own country.

Hanwha moves up 2026 Seoul Fireworks Festival to early September

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Summary

Hanwha Corp. will hold the Seoul International Fireworks Festival on Sept. 5 in Yeouido Hangang Park, moving it earlier than last year. The company said the change avoids overlapping with Chuseok and better matches the tourist season. It will deploy a record 4,700 safety and crowd control personnel and use real-time monitoring tools and CCTV to manage the event.

Key Facts

The festival has been held annually at Yeouido Hangang Park along the Han River since 2000.
Last year’s festival ran on Sept. 27, more than three weeks later than this year’s event.
Fireworks teams from Korea, the United States and Britain will take part this year.
Hanwha will deploy 4,700 safety and crowd control personnel, including 1,200 employee volunteers.
The company will use Orange Safety, a real-time crowd-density monitoring tool developed with mobile carriers, and CCTV around Yeouido, Wonhyo Bridge, Mapo and Ichon.

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Published Aug 6, 2026 2:16 pm KST

A brilliant burst of color illuminates the Seoul skyline during the 2025 Seoul International Fireworks Festival, Sept. 27. Courtesy of Hanwha Corp.

Hanwha Corp. will hold the Seoul International Fireworks Festival on Sept. 5, more than three weeks earlier than last year, the company said Thursday, citing the Chuseok holiday and demand from foreign tourists as reasons for the shift.

The festival, held annually at Yeouido Hangang Park along the Han River since 2000, ran on Sept. 27 last year.

Hanwha moved this year's date to early September to avoid overlapping with Chuseok, Korea's autumn harvest holiday and one of its biggest travel periods, and to better align with the tourist season, the company said.

Fireworks teams representing Korea, the United States and Britain will take part this year, each showcasing techniques distinct to their respective countries.

Hanwha said it is stepping up safety measures for the event, deploying a record 4,700 safety and crowd control personnel, including 1,200 company employee volunteers, across the festival's eve and the main event day.

The company will also use "Orange Safety," a real-time crowd-density monitoring tool developed with mobile carriers, to help manage crowd flow, along with CCTV cameras positioned around the outskirts of Yeouido and near Wonhyo Bridge and the Mapo and Ichon areas to monitor pedestrian movement and improve on-site response.

"This year we're preparing a more varied event with new pyrotechnic displays and added cultural and tourism programming," a Hanwha official said.

"We'll do everything we can to make this a dignified festival with safety as our top priority."

Hanwha said it is working closely with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and other agencies on safety planning and visitor convenience, with the aim of further establishing the festival as one of Korea's leading global cultural and tourism events.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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