Spectacular South Korean Fireworks Show Sparks Safety Concerns and Traffic Chaos

A major fireworks festival in South Korea attracted over 1 million spectators, leading to significant traffic congestion and high demand for hotel rooms in Seoul. With memories of a past crowd disaster fresh, authorities deployed 2,400 officers for safety. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo urged vigilance and cooperation to prevent similar incidents.

A large-scale fireworks festival in South Korea drew a massive crowd, causing significant traffic disruptions in Seoul. Authorities deployed 2,400 police officers as precautionary measures, and hotel rates soared to over 10 million won for rooms with a view.

The popular annual event heightened safety concerns, given the Halloween disaster two years ago in Seoul's Itaewon nightlife district that claimed 159 lives. Many of the more than one million spectators camped since midnight to watch the 90-minute show over the Han River.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasized crowd control and urged spectator cooperation, while the district's police chief was recently convicted of negligence over the 2022 incident, receiving a three-year prison sentence.

(With inputs from agencies.)