Han River pool operator sold unauthorized fireworks festival packages, leaving buyers stranded

A private operator running a pool at Yeouido Hangang Park has issued full refunds for fireworks festival viewing packages it sold ahead of this year's Seoul International Fireworks Festival on Saturday, after a controversy erupted over the sale of unauthorized tickets. The company acknowledged it had been hasty in accepting reservations before receiving city approval.

The trouble began last month when the pool operator started selling paid packages online targeting the fireworks festival, advertising that visitors could watch the show from sun loungers inside the pool area and that each person was required to hold a ticket for entry. The packages were a snack set at 29,000 won ($21), a Han River ramyun set at 29,000 won, a chimaek set at 34,000 won and a samgyeopsal set at 34,000 won. Each package included pool admission along with food and beverages. Some packages that included sun lounger access sold out.

According to Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Headquarters, however, the Yeouido Hangang Park pool's operating season ended Sunday. The operator had no authority to run the pool on the day of the fireworks festival on Saturday. The headquarters said the company had sold the packages without any discussion, even though its operating rights were set to expire at the end of August.

The Yeouido Hangang Park pool operates under a private management contract with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. While the contracted operator handles pool operations and facility management, holding a management contract does not automatically grant the right to sell separate commercial products within the pool premises, the Future Han River Headquarters said.

The Future Han River Headquarters issued a public notice stating that the extended pool operation being circulated online had not been authorized, and that the operator had proceeded with reservations for fireworks festival viewing inside the pool on Saturday without permission. "The Yeouido Hangang Park pool is scheduled to conclude normal operations Sunday," the notice said. "Accepting tickets during any period after that, when the operator has no operating rights, is a clear illegal act."

The operator, however, sent a text message to buyers claiming it had been preparing for extended September operations at the request of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Future Han River Headquarters, and that it had been in discussions with park facilities since Aug. 8. It said approval had not come through despite the headquarters' own request, due to delays in administrative processing, causing disruptions just a week before the festival.

The Future Han River Headquarters pushed back, saying the claim of seven rounds of consultations was not true. It acknowledged receiving an email requesting a review of extended operations but said no formal consultations had taken place.

According to the headquarters, the operator had submitted documents for extended operations through Sept. 13, but the paperwork was incomplete and required supplementation. While the headquarters was still reviewing the submission, the operator had already listed the fireworks festival packages on its reservation system.

The Future Han River Headquarters also said that even if extended pool operations had been approved, selling fireworks viewing packages would have required a separate approval process. "Extended operations and product sales are two separate matters," a headquarters official said. "The operator would need to submit materials — including a list of items for sale and their prices — for a separate review and approval."

In fact, while the packages that were sold included food and beverages, the documents the operator submitted for the extended operations review contained no mention of such packages at all, the headquarters said.

The operator ultimately sent another group text to buyers Thursday, in effect acknowledging fault in the reservation process. "This matter was something we initiated after being asked first, and we believed it would be confirmed soon as discussions continued," the company said. "That eagerness led us to accept reservations before approval was secured, and we were hasty." It added that full refunds had been processed for all reservations and that the amounts would be reflected sequentially depending on the payment method used.

As a gesture of apology, the operator also said it would open the Yeouido Han River pool free of charge to all visitors for one day on Friday.

Earlier, the operator had asked buyers to file complaints with city officials urging approval of the extended operations. In a text message, the company said "the most effective method is to directly press the department in charge" and provided the name and extension number of the Future Han River Headquarters official responsible. The official subsequently received multiple inquiries related to the matter.

Buyers who had already purchased packages reacted with bewilderment at the sudden turn of events. "I booked because this was the first event of its kind at the Han River pool and I was looking forward to it," one buyer said. "I gave up reservations elsewhere to book here, and now I'm hearing this less than a week before the festival — I'm baffled."

Buyers also expressed frustration over the operator's request that they file complaints to push for extended operations. From their perspective, they had paid for what they believed was a legitimately sold product, only to find themselves having to personally verify whether administrative approval had been obtained and then file complaints themselves.

"If the package hadn't received city approval, I never would have bought it in the first place," another buyer said. "This is a dispute between the operator and the Seoul Metropolitan Government — I don't understand why buyers are being asked to file complaints with the department in charge."

After the controversy came to light, Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Jeong-hwan raised the issue at a business briefing by the Future Han River Headquarters held Tuesday during the Seoul Metropolitan Council's 339th extraordinary session. Kim asked whether the headquarters was aware that the operator had sold food-and-beverage packages for the fireworks festival day after its pool management contract had expired. The head of the Future Han River Headquarters said the operator had ultimately come in to apologize and that all advance reservations had been fully refunded.

Meanwhile, the Seoul International Fireworks Festival will be held Saturday in and around Yeouido Hangang Park. The event draws massive crowds every year, and demand for good viewing spots remains high.