Seoul authorities inspect hotels to prevent price gouging ahead of fireworks festival

Ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival scheduled for September 5, authorities and consumers are raising concerns over significant increases in hotel room rates near Yeouido. Some hotel rooms have seen prices surge to between 2 million and 6 million KRW per night, representing a two-to-fourfold increase compared to standard rates.

In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a joint inspection of tourist hotels in the Yeongdeungpo, Mapo, and Yongsan districts from September 1 to 3. The inspections aim to ensure compliance with updated public hygiene regulations, which require hotels to clearly display room rates both at reception desks and on online booking interfaces. Under revised rules, failure to display rates can result in a five-day business suspension starting from the first violation.

Additionally, the city will monitor major online travel agencies (OTAs) from September 1 to 4 to detect excessive price hikes. Concerns have also been raised regarding hotels that only offer expensive packages—sometimes including meals or stays on non-festival dates—to bypass standard booking options. The city has requested cooperation from hotel and tourism associations to prevent unfair practices, such as the unilateral cancellation of existing reservations.