By Jung Min-ho
An annual fireworks festival will light up the sky above the Han River this Saturday night.
The Seoul International Fireworks Festival, which is sponsored by Hanwha, one of the nation’s largest conglomerates, is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in Yeouido, Seoul.
During the event, about 100,000 fireworks will be set off next to the Hanwha 63 City building, the firm’s iconic skyscraper overlooking the river. Three fireworks teams each from Korea, Japan and Spain will participate.
Prior to the fireworks, K-pop stars, including I.O.I, B1A4, Mamamoo and 24K, will put on a special performance beginning at 4:30 p.m. to energize the mood.
Expecting serious traffic jams and crammed subways with visitors from around the country, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) plans to run extra subway trains starting at 4 p.m. on the day.
The Yeouinaru Station, the nearest station to the festival venue and the primary viewing spot, will be closed from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. for safety reasons. The city government advises people to use Yeouido Station, Mapo Station or Saetgang Station instead.
Nearby roads, including Mapo Bridge and Wonhyo Bridge, will also be restricted from 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
For the major event, which draws about 1 million visitors every year, thousands of staff and police are expected to be on safety and security standby.
“We hope to promote Seoul to the rest of the world through this great festival,” said Kim Ui-seung, director of the city government’s tourism and sport department.