About 350,000 visitors over three days; 932 public and private safety personnel deployed
Additional 67 staff added on closing day; zone managers tracked crowd density in real time
The Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival, held annually by Seoul's Songpa-gu, ranks among the largest local government festivals in the country.
The 26th edition ran from Friday to Sunday at the 88 Lawn area of Olympic Park, drawing crowds with a lineup of high-quality performances and cultural programming.
The three-day event drew an estimated 350,000 visitors to the Olympic Park venue and concluded without a single safety incident, with Songpa-gu crediting its proactive crowd-management measures for the smooth outcome.
This year's festival was held under the theme "Brilliant Culture, Deep Resonance, One Together." Staged on a 60-meter main stage — the largest in the festival's history — the program featured a drone show with 900 drones, classical music, traditional Korean music, K-pop performances and more than 20 hands-on experience programs, all of which drew strong responses from attendees.
The festival's cultural depth was in part attributed to Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok, who has written a thematic poem for the event each year and has worked to elevate the festival's artistic character.
Alongside the programming, the district's on-site safety management drew attention in its own right.
The district deployed personnel flexibly in response to real-time conditions, operating a joint public-private safety management system involving 932 people in total — district office staff, dedicated safety officers, and police and fire department personnel.
On the closing day, when the largest crowds were expected, the district added 67 more staff. Safety officers were concentrated at three main entrances and along visitor movement routes, and safety infrastructure was reinforced — including lighting at emergency exits, safety fences and crowd-control barriers along walkways.
In addition, designated zone managers shared live updates on crowd conditions and density, enabling rapid responses as situations developed. As a result, the festival wrapped up without a single safety incident despite drawing about 350,000 visitors over three days.
"This festival was a celebration where brilliant history, culture and the arts came together — and at the same time, a demonstration of the district's proactive and thorough safety management capabilities," District Mayor Seo said. "I am deeply grateful to the staff who kept watch on the ground and to all the visitors who showed such civic maturity."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
