Huge crowds for South Korea fireworks despite deadly 2022 crush

A large fireworks festival in South Korea drawing a massive crowd on Saturday has snarled traffic through its busy capital, prompting police to deploy 2,400 officers and increases to the rates of some hotel rooms with a view above 10 million won (US$7,400).

The popular annual event has taken on a serious public safety dimension as memory is still fresh of a Halloween night disaster two years ago that killed 159 mostly young people in a crowd crush in a dense entertainment district.

Many of the more than 1 million spectators who were expected to watch the 90-minute show were camping out since midnight to secure a spot with a view of the event, which was scheduled to start at 7:20pm (10:20 GMT) over the Han River that runs through Seoul.

Oh Soo-taek, 64, who said he has been coming to the festival with his wife for three years, found the place already crowded when they got there at 2pm, but said it was exciting to be part of an event bringing so many families and friends together.

“We had that big accident two years ago so it’s so good to see the organisers and the police and everyone helping each other and keeping order.”

Many restaurants, bars, and hotel rooms on Yeouido island on the river and on its banks with a view of the fireworks had been booked days ahead by groups from Japan, South Korea, and the United States.