Even Free Hangang Park Spots Become Commodities
Starbucks Viewing Passes More Than Double in Price
From Tickets to Hotels, Living Rooms, Parking Spots, and Picnic Mats—Everything Is Up for Trade
As the “Seoul World Fireworks Festival 2026” is set to take place on September 5 at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul, scalping and trades involving so-called “prime fireworks viewing spots” are rampant. Paid viewing tickets, officially priced between 110,000 and 220,000 won, have appeared on the secondhand market for as much as 500,000 won. Moreover, even spots in the free Hangang Park are being bought and sold for several hundred thousand won, leading to what is being called “seat trading.”
Ahead of the ‘Seoul World Fireworks Festival 2026’ to be held on the 5th at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul, scalping and seat trading around the so-called ‘prime fireworks viewing spots’ are rampant. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
Hosted by Hanwha, the Seoul World Fireworks Festival will be held around Yeouido Hangang Park on the 5th. This year, Hanwha provided 400 people with two “Golden Tickets” each through a lottery, and operates the entire Nodeul Island as a paid viewing zone called the “Orange Play Zone.” The Orange Play Zone has approximately 700 seats, with ticket prices set between 110,000 and 220,000 won depending on the specific area.
However, as the event date approaches, prices on online secondhand markets have skyrocketed. On September 2, a post on Danggeun Market offered Orange Play Zone tickets for 500,000 won. This is more than double the face value of the most expensive section and more than four times the lowest price of 110,000 won.
Admission to nearby facilities with a fireworks view has also become subject to marked-up resale.
The Starbucks Yeouido Hangang Park location sold 27 two-person festival viewing packages this year. The packages were priced at 200,000 and 300,000 won each, depending on the view of the Han River, but all sold out within just 30 seconds of going on sale. Subsequently, posts appeared on secondhand trading platforms selling these packages for 650,000 won, and there were also posts from buyers offering to pay 500,000 won to obtain one.
Even free Hangang Park spots have become “products”
What has sparked even greater controversy is the practice of charging money for spaces in Hangang Park, which is free for anyone to use. On the 3rd, a post appeared on an online secondhand trading platform selling a “prime spot” in Yeouido Hangang Park for 400,000 won. The seller occupies the spot and then transfers it to the buyer. Conversely, a post promising to pay 300,000 won to someone who would reserve a spot until 5 p.m. attracted 99 applicants. There have also been multiple posts offering between 39,000 and 50,000 won to secure a spot on someone else’s behalf.
What has sparked even greater controversy is the practice of charging money for spaces in the Hangang Park, which is free for anyone to use. On the 3rd, a post appeared on an online secondhand trading platform selling a “prime spot” in Yeouido Hangang Park for 400,000 won. The seller first occupies the prime spot and then transfers it to the buyer. The Asia Business Daily
Some sellers are reportedly reserving spaces by laying out mats or belongings, or by remaining onsite from the day before the festival. What began as controversy over “seat saving” has now evolved to the point where prime public spaces are trading like commodities. Public sentiment is largely negative. In an interview with Channel A, one citizen pointed out that reserving a spot for money could “inconvenience other festivalgoers.” Last year, people criticized the practice of leaving mats for long periods at empty spots online, asking, “How is this different from leaving goods to reserve a parking space?” and insisting, “Seat saving like this should be regulated.”
Hotel prices hit the millions…the “fireworks premium” spreads across Yeouido
The fireworks festival effect is extending to the lodging and space rental markets as well. Online secondhand platforms now feature posts offering to rent indoor spaces near Mapo Bridge with a fireworks view, as well as transfer posts for hotel vouchers in the Yongsan and Yeouido areas at marked-up prices. For some Han River view hotels, room rates for the event date have reportedly reached 2 to 3 million won, with some cases hitting as high as 6 million won. There are even instances of people renting out their apartment living rooms or other private spaces to view the fireworks, demonstrating that the “fireworks view” itself is being traded as a short-term commodity.
The problem is that many of these transactions are difficult to regulate under current anti-scalping laws, regardless of ethical concerns. With the revised Performing Arts Act and National Sports Promotion Act taking effect on August 28, controls on scalping for shows and sports events have been significantly strengthened. Regardless of macro usage, fraudulent purchases circumventing or obstructing fair ticketing for the purpose of resale are now banned, as is the habitual or commercial resale of tickets above purchase price without the original seller’s consent. Violators can face fines up to 50 times the sales price, and one year in prison or fines up to 10 million won for buying or selling tickets in violation of the law.
Citizens waiting for the event at Yeouido Hangang Park, where the 2022 Seoul International Fireworks Festival was held. The Asia Business Daily
However, the Seoul World Fireworks Festival is not directly subject to these regulations. Under the Performing Arts Act, only performances classified as “artistic exhibitions” such as music, dance, theater, or musicals are regulated, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism states that fireworks festivals do not fall under this category, making scalping enforcement difficult. Movie tickets and accommodation vouchers are also not included in reportable scalping under current performance and sports laws.
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Especially ambiguous is the monetized transfer of spots reserved in the free Hangang Park. Legal experts note that while monopolizing and selling public spaces may be subject to rules governing shared assets or local ordinances, in reality, proving that money changed hands and that a spot was truly reserved for profit is difficult, and there are virtually no records of related prosecutions, thus representing a practical limit to regulation.
Citizens who watched the 2022 Seoul International Fireworks Festival are waiting for buses to return home. The Asia Business Daily
Against this backdrop, both the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Hanwha have begun to take action. Seoul has sent official requests to secondhand platforms such as Danggeun Market and Junggonara, asking them to block listings for festival tickets and seat transactions, and has asked users to refrain from posting such content. At the event site, banners will encourage restraint from excessive mat-laying and seat saving, and on-site monitoring will take place. Festival organizers are also requesting the deletion and ongoing monitoring of posts selling invitation tickets on secondhand trading platforms. However, since Seoul does not have clear legal authority to directly regulate private seat trades under current law, these measures remain effectively advisory.
This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.
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