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Hanwha Group's marquee fireworks show returns to the skies above Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul on the evening of September 5. It's become one of Korea's biggest annual draws — pulling in over a million spectators most years — and this edition marks its 22nd run. Organizers moved the date up by about three weeks from its usual slot this year, both to avoid overlapping with the Chuseok holiday and to better serve the crowds of foreign tourists visiting Korea. Three national teams are competing: host country Hanwha, alongside teams from the US and UK, all under this year's theme, 'In Search of Your Light.'

The show kicks off at exactly 8 PM. The UK team goes first, timing its display to 'Soda Pop,' the breakout track from the Netflix animated hit 'KPop Demon Hunters.' The US team follows with a display set to the sweeping strains of the classical piece 'O Fortuna.' Hanwha closes out the night with a sequence inspired by Van Gogh's paintings, plus a more lyrical segment set to a ballad by singer Lee So-ra. New this year: fireworks now launch symmetrically from both sides of Wonhyo Bridge, widening the sightlines so spectators farther from the river still get a full view.

With such a massive crowd expected, Seoul city has assembled a joint safety task force with the fire department, police, local district offices and Hanwha to manage congestion and respond to any incidents — deploying roughly 6,800 personnel for crowd and safety control. Traffic restrictions are extensive: part of Yeouidong-ro will be fully closed from the afternoon until midnight, and Wonhyo Bridge will be shut in both directions for more than a day to allow for setup and teardown. Between 7 and 10 PM, trains will pass straight through Yeouinaru Station without stopping.

Hangang Citizen's Park was already packed the day before the show. Picnic mats claiming prime viewing spots have spread across not just Yeouido but the Ichon park across the river, prompting Seoul city to warn that it will clear away any mats left purely to reserve space before noon on festival day. Online resale listings are offering up prime spots for anywhere from a few tens of thousands of won to around 300,000 won (roughly $220). Some residents of river-view apartments have gone further, selling viewing access or parking passes to their units. One riverside restaurant listed two VIP seats with unlimited barbecue for 6 million won (about $4,300) — pricing that drew its share of criticism as excessive.

Convenience stores near the venue are bracing for a rush of their own. Some locations have stocked up more than 100 times their usual inventory, with big jumps in orders for beer, bottled water, ready-to-eat meals and cups of ice to beat the heat. Last year, ten stores around Yeouido and Ichon saw sales jump as much as 850% on festival day compared to the same weekday a week earlier, with the biggest surge around 5 PM. CU reported its own sales peak closer to 6 PM, while 7-Eleven boosted its ice and beverage orders ahead of a forecast high of 28°C (82°F) for the day.

For the first time, the city of Busan surveyed foreign tourists through face-to-face interviews rather than relying on statistics or big data. Interviewers spent three days in the fourth week of August visiting spots across the city, including Yongdusan Park, Gamcheon Culture Village, and Haeundae Beach — some of Busan's signature tourist draws. In total, 34 people took part, each spending roughly 30 minutes sharing their travel experience.

Among respondents, Chinese-speaking travelers made up nearly half at 16, followed by 13 English speakers and 5 Japanese speakers. Most — 22 people — were visiting Busan for the first time. By area, 15 participants were interviewed in eastern Busan, the most of any zone, followed by 10 in the old downtown and 9 in western Busan.

The most common complaint was a shortage of trash cans around the city and unclean public restrooms, cited by roughly a quarter of all responses. Plenty of travelers also struggled with public transit — many said they simply didn't know Busan's subway offered passes, and some had trouble hailing taxis. Insufficient foreign-language signage and limited card-payment acceptance each drew four complaints.

Frustrations varied by nationality. Chinese-speaking travelers wanted more merchants to accept WeChat Pay and Alipay, and asked for taxi-availability information in multiple languages. Japanese visitors pointed to smells from public restrooms, a foul-smelling sewer near Seomyeon, and cigarette butts littering the streets. Visitors from Germany, France, Italy, and Canada said it was hard to find Busan travel information on Google Maps and that they weren't familiar with the Visit Busan Pass.

It wasn't all complaints. Tourists broadly praised the scenery where mountains meet the sea, the variety of food, and the city's lively atmosphere — and many said Busan's friendly locals were the main reason they'd want to return. The city plans to hand the findings to relevant departments and district offices to map out fixes. Once a third supplementary budget clears the city council, Busan intends to roll out quick wins like adding trash cans at tourist sites first, and if the approach proves effective, is considering making these in-depth interviews a regular practice starting next year.

The Bank of Korea's Monetary Policy Board met on August 27 and voted to raise the base rate by 0.25 percentage points, lifting it from 2.75% to 3.00%. It's the second straight increase since the board's last hike on July 16. Six of the seven board members backed the move; only Hwang Geon-il dissented, arguing for a hold.

This marks the first time the BOK has raised rates at back-to-back meetings immediately after pivoting into a tightening cycle. Consecutive hikes right after a policy shift are themselves rare — this is only the fourth such instance, following 2007, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Governor Shin Hyun-song said the back-to-back move was a deliberate departure from convention, meant to send markets a clear signal that the central bank is serious about reining in inflation.

The board pointed to a buildup of higher global oil prices and rising consumer spending fueled by income growth as reasons inflation could keep climbing through next year. Household debt breaking the 2,000 trillion won mark for the first time, along with persistent home-price gains across the greater Seoul area, also weighed on the decision. Governor Shin said acting early — before inflation spreads further — would ultimately keep the cost to the broader economy lower.

In its statement, the board said it would keep monitoring inflation and growth conditions to decide the pace and scale of any further hikes, signaling the tightening cycle isn't over. Some market watchers expect one or two more hikes by next February, pushing the rate to somewhere between 3.25% and 3.5% by mid-year. Higher policy rates typically filter through to market lending rates, meaning bigger interest burdens ahead for households and businesses with loans.