The Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival (spring flower event) scheduled for the 4th in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, has been postponed to the 8th. This is because the Constitutional Court set the date for the impeachment trial ruling of President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 4th, potentially leading to large-scale protests near the National Assembly where the cherry blossom festival takes place.
According to Yeongdeungpo District on the 2nd, this year’s Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival was originally planned to be held from the 4th to the 8th along the Yeouiseoro (Yoonjungro) cherry blossom road. This road wraps around the area from the National Assembly to Yeouido Park.
The Constitutional Court announced the date for President Yoon's impeachment trial ruling on the previous day, the 4th. Anticipating that a large crowd will gather around the National Assembly that day, Yeongdeungpo District held an emergency meeting. While canceling the event was considered, it was decided to postpone the festival by four days.
The revised event period is from the 8th to the 12th. Traffic control will be implemented from noon on the 6th until 10 p.m. on the 13th. The controlled areas include Yeouiseoro (1.7 km) behind the National Assembly and the area from the southern end of the Seogang Bridge public parking lot to the Yeoui downstream IC.
Yeongdeungpo District will enhance safety management for this cherry blossom festival. It will concentrate public officials, volunteers, police, and firefighting personnel around the cherry blossom road and Yeouinaru Station to maintain order and prevent accidents. Additionally, drones utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology will monitor the situation.
Twelve restrooms will be constructed, and medical situation rooms, baby resting areas, and relaxation spaces will be prepared to support citizens in enjoying the spring flowers comfortably. The opening ceremony stage event and the Air Force Black Eagles' celebratory flight have been canceled.
Although the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival date has been postponed, it is expected that citizens will not face any obstacles in enjoying the cherry blossoms, as they have yet to bloom in the central region due to the late cold spell at the end of March.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cherry blossoms in Jinhae, Gyeongnam, where the festival is currently underway, bloomed on the 29th of last month. Cherry blossoms have also opened in Sanggye Temple in Hadong, Gyeongnam, and they are fully bloomed in Namcheon-dong, Busan, and Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju. However, cherry blossoms have not yet bloomed along the Jeonju-Gunsan Expressway in Jeonbuk, or in Gyeryongsan, Chungnam. The same applies to Yoonjung-ro in Yeouido.
The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts that until the weekend, the country will be under the influence of high pressure, with warm westerly winds causing daytime temperatures to reach around 20 degrees Celsius. Cherry blossoms begin to bloom when the daily average temperature rises above 5.5 degrees Celsius. Until the weekend, the daily average temperature in Seoul is expected to be around 9 to 10 degrees Celsius, suggesting that cherry blossoms could bloom in Seoul sometime this week.
Cherry blossoms typically take about a week from blooming to full bloom. There is a possibility that the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom during the next week when the festival is held on Yoonjung-ro.