Foreign Community events Dec. 27 to Jan. 2
‘Suspiria’ screening
Steak Film offers a 40th anniversary screening of the horror classic “Suspiria” by Italian director Dario Argento, tonight. This is Steak Film’s fourth screening and discussion event at G-15 Sonnendeck in Itaewon.
Visit facebook.com/steakfilmKR for more info.
Grape vs Grain: Battle of the Bevvies
Vineworks, a wine bar near Sangsu Station in western Seoul, collaborates with the Sool Company, an expat-run company dedicated to the promotion of and education on traditional Korean alcohol. Vineworks offers three wines and Sool brings three cheongju alcoholic concoctions, paired with traditional and nontraditional foods.
The event is Saturday at 8 p.m. and costs 50,000 won to register. Visit facebook.com/vineworkskorea for more information or to register.
Happy Hippy New Year at Freebird
Happy Hippy Vibe offers a concert at the cavernous Freebird Cosmic Live near Hongik University in western Seoul, featuring five diverse bands, six psytrance DJs and one VJ. The bands are Blue Turtle Land, Khorhaj Chora, Space Boutique, Danny Boy & the Carriages and Happy Hippy Band, which will conduct the New Year countdown.
The show starts Sunday at 9 p.m. and runs until 5 a.m. the next morning. It costs 15,000 won which gets you one free drink. Visit facebook.com/happyhippyvibe for more information.
New Year’s Ballroom Party in Gangnam
Global Seoul Mates (GSM), a cultural exchange meetup group, welcomes 2018 with a massive party at the grand ballroom of the Imperial Palace Seoul in Gangnam. There are live performances from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. then the DJs take over. Music includes house, hip-hop and pop. Dress code is formal wear.
Door price is 60,000 won but early bird tickets and group discounts are available. Visit facebook.com/globalseoulmates for more.
New Year Sunrise Festivals
If you prefer early mornings over raucous late-night parties, Korea offers many festivals welcoming the first sunrise of 2018. Most sunrise festivals are along eastern coastlines where the first rays of sun will hit, but not all are out east.
Jeju Island has a sunrise festival at Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, and Yeosu in South Jeolla Province has one at Hyangiram Hermitage. The east coast’s best known festivals are at Ulsan’s Ganjeolgot Cape Park, Pohang’s Homigot Sunrise Plaza, and Gangneung’s Jeongdongjin and Gyeongpo beaches.
Seoul Fortress, Naksan Park, Kim Shin-jo North Korean spy trail
Seoul Hiking & Nature Group welcomes 2018 with an evening hike in eastern Seoul. Starting from Dongdaemun Station, the hike follows the city wall over Naksan, passes through Iwha Mural Village, then crosses to Mt. Bugak to see the so-called Kim Shin-jo North Korean Spy Route.
Visit facebook.com/seoulhikingnature for more information.
Busan Christmas Tree Festival
If you haven’t had enough Christmas cheer, Busan Christmas Tree Festival is worth a visit. Held near Nampo Station, the free street festival offers various events until Jan. 7 including concerts, a tree of wishes, street performances, collecting love coins, a photo and video contest.
Visit
for information in Korean.