Prime spots for Seoul's fireworks festival listed for sale — and there's little anyone can do

Spot-selling posts appear on secondhand platforms ahead of Seoul International Fireworks Festival

Fireworks events fall outside the Performing Arts Act, leaving scalping rules inapplicable

'No way to stop people from claiming spots early, just as you can't stop open-run queues'

City to deploy 6,800 safety personnel; extra buses and subway runs planned

A post on Karrot offering to sell a prime viewing spot at the Yeouido fireworks festival. [Screen capture from Karrot app]

With the Seoul International Fireworks Festival set to take place at Yeouido Park on Saturday, posts offering prime viewing spots for hundreds of thousands of won have begun appearing on major secondhand trading platforms. The practice of staking out the best positions in advance is proving difficult to stop, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which organizes the event, says it has no clear way to address it.

Posts related to the fireworks festival have been appearing on platforms such as Karrot and Bungaejangter since last week. One listing, titled "Selling Yeouido fireworks festival spot for 200,000 won ($146)," included a map marking the exact location the seller planned to hold. Another post sought a paid stand-in, advertising "Fireworks festival part-time job, 200,000 won" and asking someone to claim a front-row spot on the seller's behalf. A separate listing offered what it called a "five-star hotel" vantage point — described as a Han River-view seat promising an unforgettable memory — for 1.35 million won.

"Just as you cannot stop people from lining up for a department store open-run event from Monday, there is no way to penalize someone for claiming a spot early at the fireworks festival," a Seoul Metropolitan Government official said. "Transactions between private individuals are also beyond the city's authority to regulate."

The practice of claiming and reselling spots recurs every year around the fireworks festival, yet there is no legal mechanism to stop it. While online ticket scalping is generally subject to penalties, fireworks festivals do not qualify as "performances" under the Performing Arts Act, meaning scalping regulations do not apply. The act defines a performance as "an act of presenting artistic works — including music, dance, theater, musicals, entertainment, traditional Korean music and acrobatics — to the public through live performance."

Fireworks by Hanwha at the 2025 Seoul International Fireworks Festival with Hanwha. [Provided by Hanwha]

Although the city cannot impose legal penalties on spot-claiming, it plans to seek cooperation from relevant companies and educate the public on the issue.

"We have asked secondhand platforms including Karrot and Bungaejangter to delete or minimize the visibility of posts buying and selling festival spots," a Seoul Metropolitan Government official said. "We also plan to put up banners inside the park during the festival asking people not to claim spots in advance."

With large crowds expected, the city is stepping up safety management. A total of 6,800 safety personnel will be deployed, and a comprehensive safety command center will operate in coordination with police and fire department units. To handle congestion during the peak inflow period of 7 to 8 p.m. and the post-festival dispersal rush from 10 to 11 p.m., 26 bus routes serving the Yeouido transfer center and Yeouido Station will run on intensified schedules. On the subway, Line 5 will add 18 extra runs and Line 9 will add 65 around the main event. Han River ferry services will either be suspended or operate on reduced schedules for safety reasons.

"On the day of the event, road closures and congestion at Yeouinaru Station are expected, so we ask visitors to check public transportation information in advance and spread out across nearby stations," a Seoul Metropolitan Government official said.

ikson@heraldcorp.com