Dongdaemun sees overseas tourist spending surge during fall festival
Summary
Dongdaemun Design Plaza drew 700,512 visitors for Seoul Light DDP from Sept. 3-13, with the festival credited for boosting evening traffic and local sales. The Seoul Design Foundation said the event used DDP’s 222-meter facade for real-time media art and will expand into a year-round attraction called DDP 365 Light. Visitor satisfaction was high, and foreign credit card spending in Dongdaemun has risen sharply during fall festival periods.
Key Facts
- The Seoul Design Foundation said 700,512 people visited DDP from Sept. 3-13, an average of 63,683 visitors a day.
- Subway traffic at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station reached 961,725 boardings and exits during the festival period, up 8.34 percent from 887,702 in the same period in August.
- A survey of 2,122 visitors found that 94.7 percent were satisfied or very satisfied, and 19.7 percent of respondents were foreign residents.
- Credit card transactions in Dongdaemun during fall festival periods exceeded 9 billion won between 2023 and 2025, while foreign spending rose from 2.22 billion won in 2023 to 3.42 billion won in 2024.
- DDP’s 222-meter facade was used for real-time responsive media art and is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest amorphous architectural 3D projection-mapped display.
Media art from Seoul Light DDP 2026 Fall is projected onto the exterior wall of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Sept. 3. Yonhap
Over 11 radiant nights this month, more than 700,000 people converged on Seoul’s aluminum-sheathed Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) for Seoul Light DDP, a high-tech projection that flooded the area with media art after dark.
The Seoul Design Foundation said Monday that 700,512 people visited DDP from Sept. 3-13, an average of 63,683 visitors per day.
Visitors filled DDP’s Eoullim Square and Miraero Bridge during evening media art shows, with food, shopping and entertainment offerings encouraging them to stay in the area after performances.
Subway traffic at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station rose 8.34 percent during the festival, reaching 961,725 boardings and exits compared with 887,702 during the same period in August.
Evening traffic from 6 p.m. to midnight increased 15.1 percent, while traffic between 7 pm and 10 p.m. rose 21.9 percent, with visitors peaking around 8 p.m.
The foundation said DDP Design Store recorded more than double its previous month’s sales during the festival.
A satisfaction survey of 2,122 visitors found that 94.7 percent were satisfied or very satisfied, while 19.7 percent of respondents were foreign residents and 27.4 percent said they learned about the festival through social media.
This year’s festival used DDP’s 222-meter facade, officially recognized by Guinness World Records in 2025 as the world’s largest amorphous architectural 3D projection-mapped display, for real-time responsive media art.
Credit card transactions in Dongdaemun during fall festival periods consistently exceeded 9 billion won ($6 million) between 2023 and 2025. Foreign credit card spending grew sharply over that span, rising from 2.22 billion won in 2023 to 3.42 billion won in 2024.
“DDP is a landmark where world-class media art technology, citizen-centered cultural experiences and mutual growth with local businesses come together in harmony,” said Cha Kang-heui, CEO of the Seoul Design Foundation. “Through the year-round operation of DDP 365 Light, we will do our utmost to establish it as core future infrastructure driving Seoul’s global city brand.”
Seoul Design Foundation said DDP will build on the festival by operating DDP 365 Light as a year-round nighttime attraction combining lasers, lighting, video and sound.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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