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.
Seoul glows with dazzling lights, K-culture at 2025 Winter Festa
A media display lights up Gyeongbok Palace during the opening ceremony of the Seoul Winter Festa at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Friday. Newsis
By Lee Hae-rin
From lantern-lit streams to K-pop parades, monthlong festival links six city landmarks
A kaleidoscope of light, music and culture will transform the Korean capital into a winter wonderland this month, as the 2025 Seoul Winter Festa — one of the city’s signature seasonal celebrations — opened on Dec. 12 under the theme "Fantasia Seoul."
Connecting six of Seoul’s most iconic downtown spots — Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggye, Ui streams, Seoul Plaza, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), and Bosingak Pavilion — the festival weaves together light art, K-culture and interactive programs designed to enchant Seoulites and international visitors alike. The event runs through Jan. 4.
Korean traditional music performers wearing neon lights parade at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul during the opening ceremony of the Seoul Winter Festa, Dec. 12. Yonhap
City bathed in light
The festival kicked off with a spectacular ceremony at Gwanghwamun Square, where hundreds of citizens counted down to the grand lighting of a media façade projected against the main gate to Gyeongbok Palace in mesmerizing color.
Ahead of the illumination, the Fantasia Light Parade marched through the square, featuring LED performance crews, traditional Korean dancers and musical actors including Choi Jong-won, Lee Jin-hyuk and Joo Min-jin. More than 180 citizen performers joined a choir to mark the festival’s opening, celebrated as one of Seoul’s most inclusive cultural gatherings.
"Seoul Light Gwanghwamun 2025," turned the historic area into an open-air canvas for moving art. American visual artist Doug Aitken, a Venice Biennale Golden Lion laureate, collaborated on the project with Korean designers to reinterpret his signature works for the city’s skyline.
The installation, titled "Gwanghwa, Breathe with Light," runs nightly until Jan. 4, projecting waves of shifting colors and poetic animations across nearby architecture.
Lanterns light up Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, Dec. 11, on the eve of the 2025 Seoul Lantern Festival. Yonhap
Wonderland of K-culture
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said this year’s event aims to be a "festival by and for citizens," promoting participation through events that invite both play and rest. Activities include everything from K-performance competitions to quirky contests like the "Hibernation Challenge," where participants compete to see who can nap the longest. The unusual event drew over 3,500 applicants for just 40 spots, reflecting its viral popularity.
Elsewhere, the city’s waterways have become glowing rivers of light. The 17th Seoul Lantern Festival on Cheonggye Stream and Ui Stream, themed "My Light, Our Dream, the Magic of Seoul," features 500 lantern sculptures and experimental light installations stretching from Cheonggye Plaza to Samil Bridge.
Scenes of "KPop Demon Hunters," Korean folklore, history and global friendship shine along the stream, with illuminated recreations of landmarks from Prague’s astronomical clock to Taipei’s night markets.
Lights glow at the Gwanghwamun Market stalls at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul as the Seoul Winter Festa kicks off, Dec. 12. Yonhap
Festive markets and skating magic
Over at Gwanghwamun Square, the Santa Village market draws throngs with handmade crafts, global snacks and themed photo zones inspired by the Nutcracker ballet and gingerbread houses.
A 15-meter-tall Christmas tree and a Rudolph carousel evoke nostalgia and warmth, while "meet Santa" photo sessions scheduled from Dec. 21 to 25 are expected to attract families and tourists. Major brands including Barbour and Nespresso have joined the celebration with pop-up displays and tasting booths.
The scale of this year’s festivities is impressive. Between Dec. 12 and 14, more than a million people visited the market and Seoul Lantern Festival, city officials said.
Meanwhile, Seoul Plaza is once again opening its annually popular ice skating rink from Friday through Feb. 8, with Olympic figure skaters Cha Jun-hwan and Shim Suk-hee attending the opening ceremony.
An ice skating rink is being installed at Seoul Plaza in Jung District, Seoul, Dec. 14. Newsis
Staying true to its civic spirit, the rink maintains its long-standing entry fee of 1,000 won, unchanged since its debut in 2004. Special sessions will promote winter sports such as luge and bobsleigh, while the Local Market Zone offers regional food and products.
International visitors who hold a Discover Seoul Pass can skate for free and receive discounts at participating festival sites.
DDP shines bright with creativity
The futuristic landmark of DDP, will host the Seoul Light DDP media art show from Dec. 18 to 31, illuminating its sweeping aluminum façade with animated collaboration featuring Seoul's cartoon mascot Haechi, LINE Friends and other global icons.
Adding digital glamour, SEOULCon, held between Dec. 29 and Jan. 1, will bring together more than 3,500 influencer teams from 56 countries to showcase K-content, including the APAN Star Awards and World K-pop Festival.
Throughout the festival period, K-pop dance parties, busking shows and street parades will enliven the downtown area. The K-Performance Competition gives winners the chance to perform at the highly anticipated Bosigak bell ringing ceremony on New Year’s Eve.
The New Year’s bell-ringing ceremony takes place at Bosingak Pavilion in Seoul, Jan. 1, marking the first day of 2025. Newsis
Ringing in new year
The Dec. 31 countdown at Bosingak, the Joseon era belfry in central Seoul, will blend centuries-old ritual with digital artistry.
For the first time, a media facade will be projected on the bell pavilion’s tiled roof, visualizing sound waves from the resonant 33 tolls that will welcome 2026. A dynamic LED dance performance, themed "The Year of the Red Horse," precedes the midnight bell-ringing, leading into a high-energy rock performance by famed band Crying Nut.
At the same time, DDP will host an alternative countdown party blending DJ sets and visual art projections, creating a haven for the city’s youth and night owls.
"From the sparkling streets of Gwanghwamun to the joyful bustle of Seoul Plaza, we hope these moments bring warmth and inspiration to everyone spending winter in our city," Kim Tae-hee, the city’s culture headquarters chief said.