DDP opens up rooftop to visitors for 'Squid Game'-esque adventure

Andrew White, right, poses with a friend on the roof of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Nov. 21. Courtesy of Andrew White

For the month of November, the Seoul city government opened the entire 652-meter rooftop of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) to a few lucky visitors, operating the DDP Rooftop Tour, aptly titled “Sailing Over Seoul.”

My first reaction to getting the chance to walk atop the DDP’s smooth metal curves wasn’t architectural awe — it was wondering whether I was going to slip right off the thing. Still, with a little trepidation, I signed up with a friend as curiosity won out over nerves.

The backstory alone makes the climb worthwhile. When the DDP opened to the public in 2014, architect Zaha Hadid left a bold stamp on Seoul. Her “metonymic landscape” approach wasn’t just about creating a building; it aimed to capture the city’s layers, including its history, culture and street-level energy, within a structure that seems to ripple and reflect like water. I’ve always considered it a cousin of downtown Chicago’s Bean, officially known as "Cloud Gate." Over the past decade, more than 1,000 headline exhibitions and style-forward events have taken place here, and by the end of 2025, the total visitor number is expected to top 20 million.

Contrary to thoughts of perilous parkouring on slippery roofline slopes, the Rooftop Tour is promoted as a time-traveling urban experience, broken down into four sections: design, history, panorama and future. Under the concept of “Seoul drifting,” each part of the course immerses sky walkers in a different aspect of the city, much like the metonymic layers Hadid intended.

After checking in, we went through orientation, met our docent and guides and watched a short safety video. The two main safety precautions stressed were to stay on the path, as we would be tethered on a retractable leash, and to carry no loose items. Our phones were strapped to us in armband cases and could only be taken out at two designated photo zones. Then came the gear: "Squid Game"-esque jumpsuits designed by eco-friendly Korean fashion duo Kanghyuk, in our choice of bright cyan or pink.

Participants dress in brightly colored jumpsuits during an orientation before going on the rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Nov. 21. Courtesy of Andrew White

After a short walk through the fourth-floor hallways of the DDP, we came to the safety room vestibule's rooftop access hatch. A harness, earphones (for the English-language tour narration) and helmet completed our safety gear, along with some final reminders: “Stay on the path. No loose items. Stay one meter apart. No horseplay.”

My friend said, “The pre-tour briefing felt surprisingly like a countdown to a space mission, and the outfits added an unexpected 'Squid Game' vibe, a feeling that only intensified as we ascended to the rooftop.”

Once strapped in and clipped up, we went up a metal ladder and through an access hatchway, not unlike those in submarines.

The moment I stepped out into the open, the chill and breeze hit at once. From the highest apex of the southern rooftop, Dongdaemun Market spread out in a 360-degree panorama. Although the DDP is all sweeping curves from street level, the rooftop itself offers a surprisingly flat path, terraced, grassy in spots and completely invisible to pedestrians five floors below. In mid-November, it looked like a barren moonscape, the brown grass lawn contrasting with the reflective silver panels that covered the curved slopes.

Tethered to the safety rail, we began the course.

Tour participants walk across the rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Nov. 21. Courtesy of Andrew White

To me, it was an equal balance of walking through the rolling curves of a park, and being suspended in the surrounding cityscape.

From my angle, I was perfectly lined up to cast my eyes down the long westward stretch of Euljiro, with Mount Nam and its tower rising to the south. Moving in single file, we drifted along the DDP’s signature curves, peering down into what was once the site of Dongdaemun Stadium. Our guide pointed out the two remaining stadium light towers, standing like quiet testaments of the past.

At the northern end, we reached one of the two designated photo zones, with a backdrop of Dongdaemun Gate and a portion of Seoul City Wall visible to the north. Off to the side with Cheonggye Stream, we spotted Pyeonghwa Market, one of Korea’s biggest wholesale clothing markets, born from the sewing alleys that sprung up in the postwar period that fed the growth of what would become Dongdaemun Fashion Town.

A tour participant poses at a photo zone on the rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Nov. 21. Courtesy of Andrew White

Turning back, we came face to face with the heart of Fashion Town, with Doota Mall and Migliore front and center. Looking in the opposite direction, the DDP’s flowing form blended with the layers of the park below, creating a panoramic sense of Seoul’s past, present and future overlapping in one urban landmark.

One of the most fascinating details I learned on the tour was that every one of the 45,000 aluminum tiles covering the exterior is unique in size and shape, with no duplicates — a jigsaw puzzle that makes the building’s curves possible.

The rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Nov. 21 / Courtesy of Andrew White

The gradual incline took us back toward our starting point and our second photo opportunity. I was thankful for the early afternoon tour time, warmer weather making the chill more bearable. I wondered about the later afternoon sessions with dusk descending and the neon lights of the city all around. We posed for the final few minutes on the silver-tiled photo zone platform, framed against the blue sky of eastern Seoul's skyline.

Our tour guide had been informative and supportive, but I was scolded for straying off the trail. I was scolded for taking my phone out of its armband case. I was scolded for creating gaps in our single-file line. On the whole, if this had actually been a “Squid Game,” I’d probably have been eliminated in the first round.

Andrew White, second from right, stands on the rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Nov. 21. Courtesy of Andrew White

But probably not by falling. While being tethered to the safety rail was reassuring and obviously cautionary, I was hard-pressed to see how anyone might misstep and tumble over a glossy metallic waterfall edge. Looking down on the street below, I imagined gawking pedestrians having the bigger fright: “What’s with the two squads of neon-jumpsuited moon-walkers pacing across the top of the DDP?”

My friend agreed, noting, “It was a safe but adventurous experience, with some photo ops and a few chuckles with fellow ‘crew members’ along the way.”

Tour participants walk across the rooftop of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Nov. 21. Courtesy of Andrew White

Unsurprisingly, the DDP continues to rank highly among residents and visitors alike. Last year, international residents in Seoul named it the city’s third-most-impressive landmark. Getting there couldn’t be easier, as the plaza, home to exhibition halls, a museum, parks and plenty of shopping, connects directly to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on subway lines 2, 4 and 5.

The day turned out to be ridiculously fun. The DDP Rooftop Tour gave me a one-of-a-kind vantage point and a dramatic look at how Seoul’s history and futuristic skyline meet in one view.

Andrew White is an American college professor in Seoul's Nowon District. He received honorary Seoul citizenship in 2018 for his interest in and promotion of Korean traditional culture.