After the Hanwha Seoul International Fireworks Festival on October 5, the waste baskets at Yeouido Han River Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, are full of trash. Yonhap News

Crowds flocked to watch the "Hanwha Seoul International Fireworks Festival" held on October 5 caused a huge disturbance in downtown Seoul on the weekend evening. In order to preoccupy a good place to watch the fireworks, some people broke into others’ apartment complexes, and traffic jams plagued the city center due to illegal parking on the roads. The chronic problem of littering also reemerged.

On the 5th, when the fireworks festival was held, Seoul's city center was chaotic, with some people driving slowly and parking illegally to watch the fireworks. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's traffic information system, dozens of cars stopped in the side lane of Gangbyeon Expressway in the direction of Guri, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., when the fireworks festival was in full swing. Some drivers stopped on the road and got out of their cars to watch the fireworks, which caused traffic jams.

Some people even trespassed into other people's apartment complexes to get a closer look at the fireworks. A post was uploaded on an online community reporting that some spectators with chairs and wine were complained to by residents of a high-rise apartment building along the Han River, where they had a clear view of the fireworks. They placed chairs in front of the front door of other people’s houses and enjoyed the festival, and some were kicked out for making noise.

Seoul's city center experienced extreme traffic congestion. Major roads in the Yeouido neighborhood, including the northern end of Mapo Bridge, were completely or partially closed, causing traffic jams on the roads along the Han River. Areas, such as Noryangjin Sayuksin Park and Noryangjin Fish Market, were closed to the public, and subway trains ran without stopping at Yeouinaru Station on Line 5.

There were also mountains of garbage left behind by visitors. Wooden chopsticks, paper cups, and disposable mats and utensils were left all over the lawn of the Han River parks. The large waste baskets were overflowing with trash.

The festival, now in its 20th year, attracted more than 1.07 million visitors, according to organizers Hanwha and SBS. Police said the festival ended without any major incidents as related agencies focused on safety management.