"The twin fireworks were fantastic."
An estimated 530,000 people packed the Hangang Park area in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 5th for the 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival, according to organizers and police. The event opened at about 8:05 p.m. with a countdown.
The British team went first, sending down showers of multicolored fireworks set to "Soda Pop," a song from a Netflix animated film. The U.S. team followed with a display of light choreographed to sweeping music including "Carmina Burana."
The South Korean team closed the festival with the final performance at about 8:50 p.m. When two oval-shaped bursts rose with a loud boom, cheers broke out across the park. Spectators could not take their eyes off the fireworks bursting to Lee So-ra's "The Wind Blows."
The crowds also brought confusion. Along the walkways, people trying to secure prime viewing spots became tangled with those trying to move through, and shouting broke out in places. Guides used loudspeakers to ask people to keep the paths clear, but bottlenecks formed as some stopped to take photographs.
Police concentrated personnel around Yeouinaru Station and deployed an observation vehicle with a 7-meter-high platform to monitor crowd density. Traffic around the venue was also blocked off. Police closed Yeouidong-ro to vehicles between the southern end of Mapo Bridge and the 63 Building from 3 p.m. until midnight, and barred entry in both directions on Wonhyo Bridge until 3 a.m. on the 6th.
Subway Line 5 trains skipped Yeouinaru Station from 6:10 p.m. because of crowding.
Hanwha spent a total of 13 billion won on this year's festival, according to industry sources. Of that, 4.5 billion won was allocated to safety management alone, up about 17% from 3.85 billion won a year earlier.
