A free Pokemon card giveaway in Seoul was canceled after an estimated 40,000 fans flooded the Seoul Forest area, creating safety concerns at Pokemon Mega Festa 2026.
The event was part of Pokemon Korea’s month-long Pokemon Mega Festa celebration, which is tied to the franchise’s 30th anniversary and is being held around Seongsu-dong and Seoul Forest alongside the Seoul International Garden Show.
As part of the event, fans could take part in a Pokemon GO Stamp Rally. Those who collected three stamps at designated spots were supposed to receive a rare Korean-exclusive Magikarp promo card, along with other event items.
안녕하세요, 포켓몬코리아입니다.
오늘 증정 예정이었전 프로모 카드 “잉어킹”은 현장 안전 상의 이유로 취소되었습니다.추후 온라인상 폼으로 접수 예정이며, 자세한 내용은 포켓몬 공식 SNS에서 안내 드리겠습니다.
온라인 폼에서 성함, 주소, 트레이너 ID, 주소 등 필요한 정보를 접수 받을… pic.twitter.com/Ay6DApBr2w
— 【공식】포켓몬코리아 공식 채널 (@pokemonkrmkt) May 1, 2026
Pokemon card giveaway canceled over safety concerns
However, the giveaway was abruptly canceled on May 1 after the crowd grew far beyond what organizers appeared to expect.
According to The Korea Times, around 40,000 people had gathered in the area by noon, prompting safety concerns and a reported request from the Seoul city government to shut down the on-site distribution.
Pokemon Korea later posted an emergency notice confirming that the Magikarp promo card giveaway had been canceled “due to on-site safety considerations.”
The company said fans who had already met the stamp rally conditions would still be able to receive the card later via an online form, with more details to be posted on the official Pokemon social channels on May 4.
“We plan to collect necessary information such as your name, address, Trainer ID, and address through the online form,” the translated notice read. “Those of you who met the stamp rally conditions today can all receive it, so please go home with peace of mind.”
Seeing what happened in Korea with the promo card at the Mega Fest event and how chaotic it got to be…
We will be losing promo cards for events soon for sure. This is unsustainable due to all the opportunists wanting to make money.
The TCG is being ruined by these people.
— Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) May 1, 2026
The rush appears to have been driven by a combination of the public holiday, the limited nature of the promo, and its resale value. The Korea Times reported that the Magikarp card was already listed on resale platform Kream for 286,000 won, or around $194.
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On social media, fans shared images of packed crowds around Seoul Forest, with some claiming the area was difficult to navigate. Serebii webmaster Joe Merrick also reacted to the situation, warning that the chaos could have consequences for future physical Pokemon TCG giveaways.
“Seeing what happened in Korea with the promo card at the Mega Fest event and how chaotic it got to be,” he wrote. “We will be losing promo cards for events soon for sure. This is unsustainable due to all the opportunists wanting to make money.”
Pokemon Korea has not yet announced whether any other parts of Pokemon Mega Festa 2026 will be changed following the cancellation.
