Christmas in Seoul: the Gwanghwamun Market, lanterns on the stream and Myeongdong’s lights

The Gwanghwamun Market

Each December Gwanghwamun Square, below the great gate of Gyeongbokgung, becomes a Christmas village of stalls, lights and a tall Christmas tree. In 2025 the Gwanghwamun Market ran from 12 to 31 December, in the evenings, as part of the city’s Seoul Winter Festa [press].

Our advice: go after dark, then walk down to Cheonggyecheon for the lanterns, a few minutes away.

Jongno guide →

The Seoul Lantern Festival on Cheonggyecheon

The Seoul Lantern Festival floats lit lanterns along the Cheonggyecheon stream from Cheonggye Plaza. Its 17th edition ran from 12 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 [press]; the 2026 dates will be published by the city.

Our advice: weekday evenings are calmer; the paths along the stream are narrow at the busiest stretches.

Myeongdong’s lit façades

The department stores of Myeongdong and Euljiro dress their façades for the season: Shinsegae’s main store, opposite the old Bank of Korea building, is one of the city’s great Christmas light shows, and crowds gather to see it after dark.

Myeongdong & Namsan guide →   Shopping →

Festive hotels

The grand hotels, from the Four Seasons and The Shilla to Signiel and Josun Palace, lay festive tables and dress their lobbies over Christmas and New Year; book directly with each hotel, and early.

Grand hotels guide →

Christmas Day in Seoul

Christmas Day is a public holiday in South Korea, a day for couples and friends as much as for families. Shops and restaurants are busy, and the palaces keep their own opening days: check the Royal Palaces site (royal.khs.go.kr) before you go.

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