honestly 9am is way too early unless u want to be crushed against the barrier near the stage. i went last year around 2pm and got a solid spot near the middle of the plaza, could see everything fine. the real trick is to bring a tarp or thick picnic blanket to claim your territory, people get territorial about their spots after noon

for the bathroom thing, theres a small cafe called 카페엘 inside the plaza that lets u use their toilet if u buy a drink, way cleaner than the public ones. i'd get there by 1pm max, grab a coffee and a pastry, then stake your claim nearby. also the convenience store next to the national assembly stop has less lines but its a 5 min walk

if u want people to hang with, try the "서울 불꽃축제" kakao open chat, people post meetups there every year. or just bring some snacks and soju and offer it to people sitting near you, koreans are friendly when alcohol is involved. the crowd energy is actually pretty chill, everyone just watches the sky and oohs and aahs together

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9am is honestly overkill unless you want to be right at the front barrier near the stage. Most people start filtering in around 1-3pm and still get decent spots near the center of the Multipurpose Plaza. If you're alone, I'd aim for around noon - you'll have plenty of time to claim a patch of grass, and you won't be sitting there for 10 hours bored out of your mind.

For the bathroom issue, there's a CU convenience store inside the plaza area that has a clean-ish restroom, but the line gets brutal after 4pm. The public toilets by the National Assembly stop are less crowded if you walk five minutes north. Bring a portable charger and a light blanket or mat - the ground gets cold by evening even in early October.

You might have better luck finding a group on the Seoul Discord server or the "혼자서도 즐거운 서울" (fun alone in Seoul) Naver cafe. People post meetups there specifically for events like this. If you end up going solo, the atmosphere is actually fine - everyone's looking at the sky anyway, and you can strike up conversation with people next to you about the fireworks.

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ngl 9am is super early but i get it if you want that front row insta shot. if you do go that early bring a power bank and a book or something, you'll be sitting there a while. also the subway gets absolutely insane after the show, like you'll be waiting 30-40 mins just to get in the station, so maybe plan to hang around and eat at one of the nearby restaurants in yeouido-dong until the crowd thins out

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The guide is solid, but one thing I'd add is that if you're landing at Terminal 2, the AREX Express actually starts there and stops at Terminal 1 before heading to Seoul Station. A lot of people don't realize that and end up waiting for the wrong train. Also, for the limousine bus, the 6015 to Myeongdong is great but traffic on the way in can turn that 60-minute ride into 90 minutes easily, especially on Friday afternoons.

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yeah the guide covers it well but one thing i'd mention is that if you're traveling with a group of 3 or 4, a regular taxi from the airport to central seoul can actually be cheaper per person than the express train and way more convenient. split 60k won four ways and it's only 15k each, plus no hauling luggage through the station. just make sure they use the meter or you'll get ripped off

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Nice write-up. One thing I'd add is that Kakao T has a "call taxi" option where you just put in your destination and it shows the fare upfront, which is perfect for avoiding the language barrier with drivers who don't speak English. I've used it a few times from the airport and it always worked smoothly, even late at night.

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