Seoul will step up inspections of hotels around Yeouido ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, amid concerns over steep room rates and last-minute reservation cancellations.
The festival, scheduled for September 5, is expected to draw more than one million people, with hotels offering views of the fireworks likely to see particularly strong demand.
From September 1 to 3, Seoul and the Yeongdeungpo, Mapo and Yongsan district offices will inspect nearby tourist hotels.
Officials will check whether properties are properly displaying accommodation rates and complying with recently strengthened regulations.
Under rules introduced in July, hotels taking reservations online must display room prices through their online booking interfaces as well as at their front desks. A first violation can now result in a five-day business suspension.
The city will also monitor room prices listed on major online travel platforms from September 1 to 4.
Hotels showing unusually large increases compared with the previous weekend could face additional scrutiny.
Seoul has also asked hotel associations, tourism organizations and online booking platforms to discourage unilateral reservation cancellations and ensure pricing information is clearly displayed.
