Seoul fireworks festival to bring temporary delivery suspensions in Yeouido area

Online food delivery services will be temporarily restricted in Yeouido and surrounding areas of Seoul during the Seoul World Fireworks Festival.

Baemin, Coupang Eats and Yogiyo — the country's three major online food delivery platforms — said they would operate their services flexibly from Friday, when a pre-festival event begins, through Saturday, when the main fireworks show takes place, citing expected crowd congestion and traffic controls around the venue.

Woowa Brothers, the operator of Baemin, said it plans to monitor pedestrian traffic and road conditions in real time and restrict deliveries accordingly during the pre-festival event starting at 1 p.m. Friday and the main event running from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, with the main fireworks show scheduled from 8 p.m. to 9:10 p.m.

The restrictions are expected to cover delivery as well as grocery and shopping services. Affected areas include Yeouido-dong in Yeongdeungpo-gu, where the festival is held, along with riverside areas in Yongsan-gu, Mapo-gu and Dongjak-gu.

"We plan to notify users through the app that orders will not be available during the event," a Woowa Brothers official said. "After the event ends at 10 p.m., we will gradually lift the delivery restrictions as crowds disperse."

Woowa Brothers' logistics arm also said it would relocate the delivery pickup point at Yeouido Han River Park at the request of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and that deliveries near Nodeul Island and the Noryangjin soccer field may also be restricted.

Coupang Eats said measures including temporary suspension of delivery and takeout services for stores near Yeouido Han River Park could be implemented from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday during the pre-festival event, and from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Yogiyo also said it plans to temporarily suspend service in some parts of Yeouido before and after the festival's operating hours.