Fireworks show to light up Seoul skies

Seoul's largest annual fireworks display, the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, is scheduled to illuminate the city's skies on Saturday. Organized by the Hanwha Group, the event commences at 8 p.m. in Seoul's Yeouido district. This year's festivities occur about three weeks earlier than past years, primarily due to the later arrival of the Chuseok fall harvest holiday. The theme for this year's show is "Find Your Light."

For the first time in its 20-year history, a pre-festival event will be held. The festival, which features fireworks teams from three countries - Korea's Hanwha Corp., the United States, and Britain - will involve approximately 6,800 personnel to manage crowds and handle emergencies. The Seoul city government has pledged to ensure safety by setting up a safety headquarters in conjunction with police, fire departments, Hanwha and other relevant agencies.

Operational command centers, functioning as emergency medical stations, will be established at six sites across the Yeouido and Ichon neighborhoods. Additionally, 45 patrol boats will patrol the river to monitor safety.