Ticket scalping is once again rampant ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, with tickets being resold at steep markups just a week before the annual event at Yeouido Hangang Park. The government has moved to tighten laws against ticket scalping, but fireworks festivals fall outside the scope of existing regulations, leaving authorities with no legal grounds to crack down on resales and allowing the problem to persist year after year. The festival, now in its 22nd year, is scheduled to take place Saturday. The annual event draws around 1 million spectators each year. Hanwha, the organizer of the festival, sets up designated viewing areas at Yeouido Hangang Park, offering seats through a lottery for spectators seeking a closer view of the fireworks. It also began selling tickets for seats two years ago. This year, Hanwha has created Nodeul Island as the Orange Play Zone, offering 700 paid seats priced between 110,000 won ($79.70) to 220,000 won, depending on the viewing area. Numerous festival tickets were listed at prices well above face value on secondhand trading platforms