Prime Minister Han orders safety measures ahead of weekend fireworks festival

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Prime Minister Han orders safety measures ahead of weekend fireworks festival

Published: 04 Oct. 2024, 16:25

A previous edition of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

With over 1 million people expected to crowd Yeouido, western Seoul, for the Seoul International Fireworks Festival slated for Saturday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered government agencies to implement thorough safety measures and tighten monitoring on the area, the day before the event.

After the Itaewon crowd crush disaster in 2022, safety has become a major concern for the government when it comes to large-capacity events.

The annual festival, hosted by Hanwha, attracts around 1 million people every year. This year marks the 20th edition of the event, with fireworks displays by participants from Korea, the United States and Japan. The show will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday and last about 90 minutes.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, police and fire authorities as well as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will establish an emergency contact system for crises, preparing a number of entry and exit routes so that the crowds are not concentrated in one area. They will also make sure that emergency exits are easily accessible.

Han emphasized that authorities must make sure there are safety measures in place for accident-prone areas, such as slopes and waterfronts. He also mandated inspections on public transportation plans in nearby areas in case of sudden surges in passengers on the subway and buses after the event.

“We ask visitors to actively cooperate with officials to maintain order and ensure a safe festival experience,” Han said in a briefing Friday.

Prime Minister Han Duk-soo speaks during National Assembly hearing on Sept.12 [JOONGANG ILBO]

Prior to the announcement on Friday, the Seoul government introduced a number of measures to ensure safety on the event day.

A total of 288 safety personnel, an increase from the usual 64, will be deployed to 16 subway stations near the festival site, including Yeouinaru Station.

In addition to the personnel, the Seoul government said it will tighten real-time monitoring around the event venue using the CCTV systems deployed in Seoul, as well as drones.

Public transportation routes will be changed in time for the event as well to minimize crowding. Nineteen bus routes that pass through Yeouidong-ro will be rerouted. Subway trains on line No. 5 may skip Yeouinaru Station if the platform becomes too congested.

Pedestrians will also be restricted from accessing Wonhyo Bridge toward Yeouido from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and from Friday through Sunday toward Yongsan.

Additional information about the traffic changes can be found here.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]