On the morning of the 1st, a large crowd gathered at a Pokémon 30th anniversary event in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, forcing organizers to suspend the event and prompting responses from police and fire officials.
Starting at 10:39 a.m., authorities received multiple reports warning that the dense crowd posed a safety risk, and they moved in to manage the scene. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
To mark Pokémon's 30th anniversary, Pokémon Korea opened a pop-up store in Seongsu-dong and ran an event that distributed rare cards to players.
Because the event fell on the Labor Day holiday, fans began arriving early in the morning, and visitors to the Pokémon garden installed at the nearby 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo joined them. Social media filled with photos and worried posts showing Seongsu-dong's narrow streets packed with people.
Seoul city estimated attendance along Seongsu's cafe street rose from about 26,000 at 10 a.m. to roughly 40,000 by noon. At the city's request, organizers halted the event around midday. During the shutdown, some attendees protested, leading to scuffles that required police intervention.
