Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Mondrian Seoul Itaewon hosts TEDxSeoul annual event
A poster for TEDxSeoul 2025 CROSSOVER / Courtesy of Mondrian Seoul Itaewon
By Lee Hae-rin
Mondrian Seoul Itaewon, a five-star lifestyle hotel at the heart of Seoul's vibrant Itaewon neighborhood, has signed a memorandum of understanding with global ideas platform TEDxSeoul and will host the TEDxSeoul 2025 annual event Sunday.
Blending TEDxSeoul’s motto, “Ideas Change Everything,” with the hotel’s goal of encouraging creative collaboration, the partnership — signed on April 11 — includes hosting TEDx events, producing cultural content and co-launching community-centered initiatives.
TEDxSeoul and Mondrian Seoul Itaewon officials pose during a ceremony for the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Seoul, April 11. Courtesy of Mondrian Seoul Itaewon
Under the theme "CROSSOVER," TEDxSeoul 2025 will feature speakers who embody the idea of breaking boundaries and forging new paths.
Participants include Gareth Weir, deputy ambassador at the British Embassy in Seoul; political scientist Kim Ji-yoon; Yoon Kyung-a, head of KT AI Tech Lab; pop artist Nancy Lang; and other leaders from academia, business and the arts.
The program will also offer interactive sessions, idea presentations and experiential content, with a networking night in the hotel lobby.
“Through this collaboration with TEDxSeoul, we hope to position our hotel as an open platform where creativity and ideas flow — far beyond being just a place to stay,” said Damian Marchenay, general manager of the hotel.
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Korean and English. Tickets can be purchased on the TEDxSeoul website.