Hanwha Seoul International Fireworks Festival

Out of all my blogs this is the first event that no one had to compete for. The Hanwha Seoul International Fireworks Festival returned this October 2022 after being held off due to COVID-19. It is hosted as you might have guessed, by the Hanwha Group and this show was in great demand. The flier mentioned bringing firework technicians from around the world which would gather in Korea to put up an extravagant show by the Hangang River. This year's theme as mentioned in their flier is based on spreading the message of encouragement to everyone who had gone through a tough time due to COVID-19. However, what they do not tell you is that the fireworks start until about 7:30 or 8:00 pm. Before that there is a huge festival with food and where people literally fight for the best spots to see the fireworks. Since the event had not been hosted since the 2020 pandemic, everything was flooded by people. The streets, grass, floor, and subway system.

The distance from Yonsei to this event is around 40 minutes, thus, taking a subway is your best bet as traffic is never consistent nor is the time provided on KakaoMaps for your bus. Once you arrive at the location you will notice that there are a multitude of options of food. There is steak, ice cream, flavored waters, chicken, squid, goat, lamb, and anything you can imagine. Including pizza. The lines for some of the best foods and desserts, however, can be up to 30 or 40 minutes long. Therefore, I suggest you look for something you really want to try and stick with it. Don't try to switch lanes, literally.

After you get a chance to try all of the foods you want you can sit down with your group of friends and await the fireworks. Or as my group of friends found out way too late, attend a rave party. Before I mention how great the firework show was, I would like to talk about the rave party no one tells you about. I believe it was EDM music and the DJ's name was Fenner. So if you do get a chance to attend next year, make sure you try to find where the party is at by listening for the loud music and flashing lights he has akin to the ones Batman has in the sky. 

Disregarding our lost opportunity at a party, the fireworks were incredible. There were three rotations which signified the different countries. These countries were Italy, Japan, and Korea. All of the countries put on an incredible show, however, I would like to say that Italy and Korea put on the best show. There were even fireworks pouring down from the bridge and shooting out from the bridge. A double barrage. 

Ultimately, if you want to see an amazing show, spend a good time with some friends, see the most people possible conjugated in one singular area you have ever seen in your life, and eat some good food, and party, then the Hanwha Seoul International Fireworks Festival is the right event for you to attend. 

Part 1 of the fireworks can be found on my TikTok here.  Part 2 can be found here.