Cities across Korea racing to build ‘Korean Times Squares’
Large digital billboards light up New York’s Times Square. Korea Times file
Relaxed outdoor advertising rules spark surge in giant digital billboards nationwide
Local governments across Korea are rushing to create their own versions of New York's “Times Square,” unveiling massive outdoor screens and digital media facades in an effort to boost tourism and revitalize local economies.
Inspired by iconic landmarks such as New York’s Times Square, London’s Piccadilly Circus, Toronto’s Dundas Square and Osaka’s Dotonbori, municipalities are competing to establish high-tech media zones that double as urban attractions.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Sunday, Seoul’s Gangnam District around Coex was first designated as a “free outdoor advertising zone” in 2016, followed by Gwanghwamun Square, Myeong-dong and Haeundae District in Busan in 2023.
The government’s easing of regulations — once tightened to curb light pollution and visual clutter — has triggered what officials describe as a “new era” in the outdoor advertising market.
A giant digital billboard on the exterior of Shinsegae Duty Free’s Myeong-dong branch in Seoul. Courtesy of Shinsegae Department Store
Cities light up with mega screens
In the designated free zones, billboard size, shape and installation methods are no longer restricted. Private companies install the screens, donate them to local governments and in return receive rights to operate them under a contribution-based model.
In Seoul’s Gangnam District, 19 large LED screens now illuminate the area around Coex. On Oct. 1, the district unveiled the zone’s new name, “Gangnam Eyes.”
In Myeong-dong, a massive screen measuring 1,292 square meters — roughly the size of three basketball courts — was installed on the facade of Shinsegae Department Store, attracting over 1 million visitors during last year’s Christmas season. Additional media poles and building-mounted billboards are set to be added across the district by year’s end.
At Gwanghwamun Square, large-format screens have been activated on the facades of the Koreana Hotel, KT headquarters and other nearby buildings, including the Kyobo Life Building.
“Local governments and property owners have shown strong interest in being designated as free advertising zones,” said Park Hee-geon, head of the ministry’s Address and Spatial Information Division. “We plan to review the results of the first and second phases and draw up a third-round plan soon.”
A large digital billboard at the Trade Tower in Seoul’s Gangnam District. Courtesy of Gangnam District Office
Busan’s ‘Haeundae Square’ and regional expansion
Busan’s Haeundae District, the first nonmetropolitan area to be selected, has installed a 766-square-meter screen on the exterior of the Grand Josun Busan hotel, branding the area as “Haeundae Square.” The space also serves as a cultural venue, hosting live events and public campaigns.
One of its recent projects, “The World’s Biggest Lifeguard,” created by Innocean and managed by Shinsegae Property, displayed real-time safety messages from lifeguards to beachgoers and drew positive feedback.
The district plans to install 14 additional media poles along Gunam-ro and the Haeundae beachfront by next year.
In Daegu’s Jung District, home to the city’s main shopping street Dongseong-ro, officials are seeking designation as a “special outdoor advertising zone” after failing to qualify for the free-zone program.
The district plans to install digital billboards on 12 buildings, expanding from an initial plan of eight. If approved, the total display area could increase from 225 to 337.5 square meters.
“We expanded participation based on strong local interest,” said an official from the district’s urban design division. “We expect the project to help revive the struggling downtown economy.”
Seoul has also revised its own advertising ordinance, allowing digital billboards on the second floors of buildings in both residential and commercial zones — previously limited to first-floor installations.
Dongseong-ro in Jung District, Daegu, where plans are underway to designate a “special outdoor advertising zone.” Korea Times photo by Kim Jae-hyun
Growing global market, calls for balance
According to global market research firm Statista, Korea’s outdoor advertising spending fell from $550 million in 2018 to $440 million in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but is projected to rebound to $710 million this year.
Experts say the large-scale advertising push could boost tourism, foot traffic and local sales, but caution that inclusive policies are needed to ensure smaller businesses and communities benefit as well.
“Smaller cities need fair access and balanced development opportunities,” said Byun Hye-min, a research fellow at the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation’s Media Research Institute. “The third phase should focus on local participation and ways to help small merchants thrive alongside these large-scale media zones.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.