Yeouido subway station to skip stops for 3 hours during Seoul fireworks festival Saturday

Yeouidonaru Station will not stop trains for three hours — from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — on Saturday as the Seoul International Fireworks Festival draws massive crowds to the area. With a pre-festival event added to the schedule this year, police plan to deploy 4,700 officers over two days to manage crowds.

According to police, the 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival will be held Saturday at Yeouido and Ichon Han River parks. Unlike in previous years, a pre-festival event is also scheduled for Wednesday evening.

Police will begin deploying personnel Wednesday evening along roads near the festival grounds, at subway stations and at major entry and exit points of Han River parks.

On the day of the main event, the chiefs of the Yeongdeungpo, Yongsan, Mapo and Dongjak police stations, along with two mobile unit commanders, will be designated as zone supervisors to oversee on-site safety management. A total of 4,700 officers — drawn from 51 mobile units and 28 metropolitan patrol teams — will be deployed over two days to manage crowds and respond to emergency calls.

Police will also focus on locations that have recently gained popularity as festival viewing spots on social media, beyond Yeouido and Ichon Han River parks. Officers will be stationed at the northern interchange of Mapo Bridge, the Ichon Geobukseon Ferry Dock and Yongyangbongjeojeong Park to monitor crowd levels.

Police are also preparing for the surge of people heading home once the festival ends. Authorities plan to guide crowds toward alternative stations — including Gukhoeuisadang, Yeouido, Saetgang, Daebang and Singil — to ease congestion.

Yeouidonaru Station, expected to see the heaviest foot traffic, will have trains pass through without stopping from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. If congestion inside the station rises and on-site control becomes necessary, the no-stop service could begin earlier.

"Large crowds and heavy traffic are expected around the festival grounds, so please use public transportation whenever possible," a Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said. "We ask that you cooperate fully with the guidance of on-site officers and safety personnel to ensure everyone gets home safely."