”40,000 yen for 90 minutes”...Seoul city cracks down on ”famous fireworks venue”

Ahead of the World Fireworks Festival, which will be held on the 5th at Hangang Park in Yeouido, Seoul, South Korea, the city of Seoul has begun cracking down on "rip-off prices" at accommodation facilities.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 4th, the city checked the accommodation rates for hotels with views of the Han River Fireworks Festival located in Yeongdeungpo, Yongsan, and Mapo-gu from last month's 30th to this month's 2nd.
The World Fireworks Festival, which attracts large crowds, has been plagued by the problem of excessive charges every year.
Although it is illegal, there are posts on second-hand trading communities saying that their houses are "famous for the world's fireworks festival" and that they are available to rent for 400,000 won (about 44,000 yen) for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Recently, a comment was posted on the shared accommodation platform Airbnb offering a 33-pyeong officetel with a Han River view for 700,000 won.
Other accommodations will also charge higher prices on the day of the fireworks. A Han River view suite at a hotel in Yeouido costs 3,000 yen including tax.
The price for the other rooms was nearly double the usual weekend night rate of around 600,000 won. The city government has filed suit against the hotel operator, citing violations of the Public Health Management Act.
The Public Health Management Act stipulates that if a lodging business does not post its facility prices and receives a higher price than the existing price, it will be punished with imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to 5 million won.
In addition, the city plans to check whether there are any cases of accommodation fee cancellations or refusals to refund, and to provide administrative guidance to accommodation businesses.