Can you see the Yeouido Fireworks Festival from Inwangsan?
My real viewing experience, plus prep tips
Written by
Jigu Byeol Sigol Jwi, a book-loving travel lifestyle blogger and YouTuber
On the day of the Seoul Yeouido Fireworks Festival, I skipped the packed Han River Park and headed to Inwangsan near Gyeongbokgung Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea instead. I figured it would be less crowded since it’s farther from Yeouido, but I was wrong—behind Gyeongbokgung, Inwangsan was absolutely packed with people who had the exact same idea for the Yeouido Fireworks Festival.
Does the Yeouido Fireworks Festival look good from Inwangsan?
Short answer: yes, you can see the fireworks, but the size and live impact are a little underwhelming.
The big draw is being able to watch the fireworks from above with the Seoul skyline spread out in front of you. But because Inwangsan is quite a distance from Yeouido, the fireworks looked smaller than I expected. The booms also arrived late and sounded much softer, so it didn’t have the same dramatic, chest-rattling energy you get closer to the Han River.
That said, one of the best things about watching from Inwangsan is that you can take in the full scale of the show from afar while enjoying Seoul’s night view at the same time.
If anything, this spot felt better for zoomed-in video than for still photos.
Also, Beombawi is closed during the fireworks festival period for safety reasons, so if you usually hike up to Beombawi, make sure to follow the on-site guidance.
What to prepare before you go
Since this involves a nighttime hike on Inwangsan, I highly recommend wearing sneakers or hiking shoes and bringing a flashlight. The best viewing spots fill up early, so if you’re planning to watch the Yeouido Fireworks Festival from Inwangsan, give yourself plenty of time and arrive well before the show starts.
After the fireworks end, a lot of people head down the dark trail at the same time. It’s much safer not to rush and to keep some distance from the person in front of you.
After seeing it for myself, I’d say Inwangsan is a solid option if you want to avoid the worst of the crowd while still pairing the Yeouido Fireworks Festival with a beautiful Seoul night view.
But if big fireworks, loud explosions, and that immersive festival atmosphere matter most to you, I’d still recommend choosing a spot closer to Yeouido, even if it means dealing with bigger crowds.
Safety control during the night hike
On site, staff from the Jongno-gu Office Green Park Division were out managing access to dangerous sections and directing the flow of visitors.
Honestly, if everyone followed basic safety rules just a little better, it would ease the burden on public staff. It was frustrating to think that even when accidents happen because of personal carelessness, people still sometimes turn around and blame government agencies. Seeing civil servants stay on site so late because of that was hard to watch.
Even when they tell people not to climb, some still go up…
(I get the temptation, but if something goes wrong, why keep filing complaints and lawsuits against the authorities?)
I also heard their shift ended before 10 p.m. that day, which meant they might not even receive proper night-duty pay, and that made me feel even worse for them.
Up on the mountain, it was Jongno-gu Office staff
and at the trail entrance, police officers were working hard too.
Enjoying the festival is great, but in the mountains, I really think people need to take responsibility for their own safety and cooperate with on-site controls.
If you want vivid, up-close energy, choose a place near Yeouido. If you’d rather enjoy the fireworks with a sweeping Seoul night view, Inwangsan is worth considering—but either way, safety should come first. I hope we can all be the kind of thoughtful Seoul citizens who enjoy events responsibly.
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Written by
Jigu Byeol Sigol Jwi, a book-loving travel lifestyle blogger/YouTuber
Thank you.
I’ll keep uploading my travel videos to YouTube, so until next time, happy travels everyone.
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