At a glance
| Dates | Expected Dec 2026From Thursday 17 December 2026 to the New Year's Eve countdown on 31 December. Seoul's Mediahub (28 September 2026) says the winter edition starts on 17 December and a New Year countdown follows on 31 December; the closing date, hours and line-up were not published as of 19 October 2026, but the last three winter runs ended on 31 December. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Second half of December 2027, ending with the New Year's Eve countdown, if the winter pattern since 2023 holds; nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. |
| Weather | December average 4/−3 °C (40/26 °F), 23 mm of rainNear or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers. Monthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Seoul station. |
| Admission | Free: no ticket for the façade shows, the light installations or the New Year's Eve countdown. Only food and market goods cost money. |
| Venue | Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), façade and Eoullim Plaza서울특별시 중구 을지로 281 (을지로7가) |
| Nearest station | Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (동대문역사문화공원역), Seoul Subway Lines 2, 4 and 5, Exit 1Exit 1 comes out right at DDP, on Eoullim Plaza in front of the façade |
| From Seoul | In Seoul · SubwayFull route |
| Organizer | Seoul Design Foundation, with the Seoul Metropolitan Government서울디자인재단 (서울특별시) |
| Usual timing | About two weeks from a Thursday in the second half of December to the New Year's Eve countdown: 21–31 Dec 2023, 19–31 Dec 2024 and 18–31 Dec 2025; the 2026 run is set to open on 17 Dec. The first winter runs went into early January (20 Dec 2019–3 Jan 2020, 17 Dec 2021–2 Jan 2022). Since 2023 an autumn run has also been held around the start of September (3–13 Sep in 2026). Browse December festivals. |
| First held | 2019 |
| Last checked | 19 October 2026Checked against 40 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the curved building by Zaha Hadid that opened in 2014, turns into a giant screen every winter. Seoul Light DDP projects media art onto its 222 m west wall, which faces Eoullim Plaza, and adds lasers, light objects and photo zones around the site. It began in December 2019 as Seoul Light, with Refik Anadol's AI data-art work Seoul Haemong, which drew more than a million visitors in 15 days. A second run followed in spring 2021, the winter shows returned that December, and from 2022 the festival has been called Seoul Light DDP. Since 2023 an autumn run around the start of September has joined the December one. In 2025 Guinness World Records named it the largest projection-mapped display on an irregularly shaped building.
The winter run is part of the city's Seoul Winter Festa. Recent editions opened on a Thursday in the second half of December and ran to 31 December: 21–31 December 2023, 19–31 December 2024 and 18–31 December 2025. The 2025 theme was 'EVERGLOW': six pieces of three to five minutes each, with Seoul's mascot Haechi, LINE FRIENDS and other characters, repeated every 30 minutes from 18:00 to 21:30, while the grounds became a Christmas town with 180 'Wishing Crystal' light objects on the lawn hill and luminarie lights under the Mirae-ro bridge. Each run ends with a New Year's Eve countdown with fireworks and DJs or bands: in 2023 and 2024 it ran from 23:00 to 01:30, and about 87,000 people came in 2025.
Everything is outdoors and free, and there is nothing to book. Since September 2026 there is also something to see on other nights: DDP 365 Light, a short permanent laser and light show near Eoullim Plaza, plays every 30 minutes in the evening. Seoul Light DDP is a different show from Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, the projection on Gwanghwamun Gate that is also part of the winter festa.
The caveats: the city publishes the winter details late, so the 2026 closing date, hours and line-up were still missing in mid-October 2026; you watch standing outdoors in the December cold; and New Year's Eve is very crowded.
Highlights
- Media art on the 222 m curved façade of Zaha Hadid's DDP, repeated every 30 minutes through the evening (18:00–21:30 in 2025)
- New Year's Eve countdown with fireworks and DJs or bands: 23:00–01:30 in 2023 and 2024 (with the first fireworks from the DDP roof in 2023), and about 87,000 people in 2025
- Christmas-town extras in 2025: 180 'Wishing Crystal' light objects on the lawn hill, luminarie lights under the Mirae-ro bridge and a giant LINE FRIENDS photo zone on Eoullim Plaza
- Free and walk-up: no tickets, and Exit 1 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station opens onto the viewing plaza
- Guinness World Records holder since 2025 for the largest projection-mapped display on an irregularly shaped building
- Part of Seoul Winter Festa, alongside the Cheonggyecheon lanterns, the Gwanghwamun Market and the Seoul Plaza ice rink
- On other nights since September 2026: DDP 365 Light, a laser and light show of about 5 minutes every 30 minutes (from 18:00 in November–February)
Who it suits. Best for travellers in Seoul in the second half of December who want a free, short evening stop, for families whose children like the character shows, and for anyone looking for a New Year's Eve countdown with fireworks; less suited to anyone expecting a long programme, since one cycle of shows lasts about 20 minutes, or to people who dislike standing in crowds in the cold.
Getting there
From Seoul
Take Line 2, 4 or 5 to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and leave by Exit 1, which comes out at DDP's Eoullim Plaza, the main place to watch the façade. Walk on to the lawn hill and the Mirae-ro bridge for other angles and the light installations.
From Busan
KTX from Busan Station to Seoul Station (about 2 h 30 m; ₩54,400 standard class since the 1 September 2026 fare cut), then Line 4 towards Jinjeop to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, Exit 1.
From Incheon Airport
AREX express train to Seoul Station (about 40 minutes non-stop, ₩13,000), then Line 4 towards Jinjeop to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, Exit 1.
Last leg from Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station
Seoul Subway Lines 2, 4 and 5, Exit 1. Exit 1 comes out right at DDP, on Eoullim Plaza in front of the façade
Getting home
The shows end by about 22:00, within normal subway hours. The New Year's Eve countdown ran until 01:30 in 2023 and 2024; Seoul has run the subway later than usual on New Year's Eve, but check the city's New Year's Eve transport notice before relying on a late train. Back to Busan the same night: the KTX from Seoul Station takes about 2 h 30 m; check the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+, where KTX and former SRT trains are now booked) or at the station before you go.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | — | Free in every edition so far; no 2026 winter notice yet |
- Booking
- None; just turn up. Only the 2021 edition, under COVID-19 rules, needed advance booking on the DDP website (99 people per show).
- English on site
- No English programme notice was found, but the shows need no language and the works carry English titles. Inquiries: DDP 02-2153-0000 or Seoul's Dasan Call Centre 02-120.
- Crowds
- Busy: about 1.92 million visitors across the 2025 autumn and winter runs, 775,719 for the 2024 winter run alone, and about 87,000 at the 2025 New Year's Eve countdown.
- Best time to go
- A weekday evening, arriving for the first show (18:00 in 2025); the programme repeats every 30 minutes, so watch once from Eoullim Plaza and again from the lawn hill. On 31 December arrive well before the countdown, which runs past midnight.
- What to bring
- Warm layers, gloves and a hat for standing outdoors in December, and a charged phone for photos; on New Year's Eve, a topped-up transport card for the ride home.
2026 program
- Working titles in the city's autumn notice: winter edition 'K-Iconic Light' and New Year countdown 'First Light', under the 2026 annual theme 'DAYBREAKER'
- 31 DecNew Year countdown (times not yet published)
Autumn run 2026: 3–13 September, 19:30–22:30 nightly, free, theme 'K-Original Light', with façade works drawing on Nam June Paik, Yoo Young-kuk and the Cheongguyeongeon song anthology, a laser show and live music sets; about 700,000 visitors in 11 days, and a DDP × Dongdaemun Super Pass with offers at about 140 nearby shops. From September 2026 the permanent DDP 365 Light show runs nightly between the festival runs.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Second half of December 2027, ending with the New Year's Eve countdown, if the winter pattern since 2023 holds; nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. | tba | |
| 2026 | From Thursday 17 December 2026 to the New Year's Eve countdown on 31 December. Seoul's Mediahub (28 September 2026) says the winter edition starts on 17 December and a New Year countdown follows on 31 December; the closing date, hours and line-up were not published as of 19 October 2026, but the last three winter runs ended on 31 December. | expected | Autumn run 2026: 3–13 September, 19:30–22:30 nightly, free, theme 'K-Original Light', with façade works drawing on Nam June Paik, Yoo Young-kuk and the Cheongguyeongeon song anthology, a laser show and live music sets; about 700,000 visitors in 11 days, and a DDP × Dongdaemun Super Pass with offers at about 140 nearby shops. From September 2026 the permanent DDP 365 Light show runs nightly between the festival runs. |
| 2025 | 18–31 Dec 2025 | ended | Front façade of DDP and the plazas around it (Eoullim Plaza, the lawn hill, under the Mirae-ro bridge) |
| 2024 | 19–31 Dec 2024 | ended | Part of Seoul Winter Festa; 775,719 visitors by the city's count. Autumn run: 29 August–8 September 2024, 20:00–22:00, free, with 'Poem of Time', a reworking of nine paintings by Kim Whanki (video by Park Je-sung, music by Yoon Sang), seen by about 610,000. The two 2024 runs together passed 1.38 million visitors. |
| 2023 | 21–31 Dec 2023 | ended | Eoullim Plaza and the Design Street in front of the façade |
| 2022 | 17–31 Dec 2022 | ended | Held as Seoul Light DDP; earlier editions were called simply Seoul Light. The Korea Times put the 15-day winter run at about 1 million visitors, 97 percent of them satisfied. Smaller autumn programmes ran in 2022, including GIANTSTEP's virtual character Cosmo Walker. One city article gives 1 January 2023 as the last day; its schedule table ends on 31 December. |
| 2021 | 17 Dec – 2 Jan 2022 | ended | The second edition was a spring run: 26 March–1 April 2021, 'Seoul Haemong II' by Refik Anadol, built from about 6 million photographs of Seoul, six shows a night from 19:30 to 22:00. No December 2020 run was found. |
| 2019 | 20 Dec – 3 Jan 2020 | ended | More than 1 million visitors in 15 days, over 60,000 a day by the city's count. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
A section of the Seoul City Wall, the Joseon-era wall round the old capital: a 3.2 km walk of about an hour from Hyehwamun Gate over Naksan Park, with sunset and night views of Seoul, down to Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun Gate) near DDP. The trail is open 24 hours, so start in the late afternoon and finish in time for an evening show at DDP. Tip: the path passes residential villages such as Ihwa, so keep your voice down after dark.
Getting there: Line 4 to Hyehwa Station, Exit 1, then 5 minutes on foot to the trail; it ends at Heunginjimun, a short walk from DDP
Seoul's free winter lantern display on Cheonggyecheon, the stream that runs below street level through downtown: lantern sculptures and media art in themed zones from Cheonggye Plaza eastward, running 11 December 2026–31 January 2027. In 2025 the lanterns stayed lit until 23:00, later than the last DDP show at 21:30, so watch an early show and go on to the stream; 2026 hours are not yet published. Tip: the stream channel is colder than the street and one-way at peak times.
Getting there: Line 2 west to City Hall Station, Exit 4, then about 5 minutes on foot to Cheonggye Plaza; free
Questions travelers ask
When is Seoul Light DDP 2026?
Seoul says the winter edition starts on Thursday 17 December 2026, with a New Year countdown on 31 December. The closing date, hours and line-up were not published as of 19 October 2026; the last three winter runs ended on 31 December.
Is Seoul Light DDP free?
Yes. The façade shows, the light installations around DDP and the New Year's Eve countdown are free and need no ticket.
What time are the shows?
In winter 2025 the programme ran 18:00–21:30, repeating every 30 minutes with six works of 3–5 minutes each. In 2024 it ran 19:00–21:30, six shows a night. Hours for 2026 are not out yet.
How do I get to Seoul Light DDP?
Take Line 2, 4 or 5 to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and leave by Exit 1, which comes out on DDP's Eoullim Plaza in front of the façade. From Incheon Airport, take AREX to Seoul Station and change to Line 4.
What happens on New Year's Eve?
A countdown with fireworks and DJs or bands. In 2023 and 2024 it ran from 23:00 to 01:30, and in 2023 fireworks were launched from the DDP roof for the first time. In 2025 Park Myung-soo played a DJ set and about 87,000 people came.
Can I see light shows at DDP outside the festival?
Yes. Since September 2026 DDP 365 Light, a permanent laser and light show near Eoullim Plaza, plays every evening: about 5 minutes every 30 minutes, from 18:00 to 22:00 in November–February. Seoul Light DDP also has an autumn run around the start of September (3–13 September in 2026).
Is Seoul Light DDP part of Seoul Winter Festa?
Yes. Since 2023 the winter run has been one of the Seoul Winter Festa programmes, alongside the Cheonggyecheon lanterns, the Gwanghwamun Market and the Seoul Plaza ice rink; each keeps its own dates.
What is the weather like at Seoul Light DDP in December?
December in Seoul: average high 4 °C (40 °F), low −3 °C (26 °F), 23 mm of rain (Seoul station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Near or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2026 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- Seoul Mediahub — 매일 밤 빛나는 'DDP 365라이트' (28 Sep 2026)municipal — Seoul Light DDP 2026 winter scheduled from 17 Dec, with a New Year countdown on 31 Dec; 2026 autumn run 11 days from 3 Sep with 700,000 visitors; DDP 365 Light from Sep 2026 near the Eoullim Plaza remains exhibition, 19:00–22:00 every 30 minutes, about 5 minutes, first show 18:00 in Nov–Feb; DDP 02-2153-0000
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 서울라이트 DDP 2026 가을 (updated 2 Sep 2026)official — Autumn 2026: 3–13 Sep, 19:30–22:30, free; annual theme DAYBREAKER, autumn 'K-Original Light'; winter working title 'K-Iconic Light' and countdown 'First Light'; works on Nam June Paik, Yoo Young-kuk and Cheongguyeongeon; 222 m wall; hosted by Seoul and the Seoul Design Foundation
- Seoul Mediahub — 미디어아트에 140여 곳 할인까지… '서울라이트 DDP' 개막 (1 Sep 2026)municipal — Autumn 2026: 3–13 Sep (11 days), 19:30–22:30, free, live music sets; DDP × Dongdaemun Super Pass with about 140 shops; Guinness World Records title for 3D mapping on an irregular building
- Herald Economy — DDP서 '빛 축제' 열린다 (31 Aug 2026)news — Held on the 222 m wall since 2019; about 1.92 million visitors in 2025 and about 87,000 at the 2025 New Year's Eve countdown; Guinness record in 2025; DDP opened in 2014, designed by Zaha Hadid, run by the Seoul Design Foundation
- The Korea Times — Seoul transforms DDP into living digital canvas (20 Aug 2026)news — English name Seoul Light DDP; autumn 2026 3–13 Sep, 19:30–22:30, free; English work titles; 222 m curved façade; 1.92 million visitors in 2025 and 87,000 on New Year's Eve
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 서울라이트 DDP 2025 겨울 (서울윈터페스타) (5 Dec 2025)official — 18–31 Dec 2025 (14 days), 18:00–21:30, free; theme EVERGLOW; six works; 180 Wishing Crystals; Nutcracker-themed opening on 18 Dec; countdown with fireworks, DJing and performances, streamed on YouTube; Seoul and Seoul Design Foundation; 02-2153-0000; Guinness record (25 Aug 2025); over 1.38 million visitors in 2024
- Seoul Mediahub — 2025년의 마지막은 빛의 축제와 함께! (30 Dec 2025)municipal — 18–31 Dec 2025, 18:00–22:00 every 30 minutes; 222 m façade; LINE FRIENDS photo zone on Eoullim Plaza; luminarie under the Mirae-ro bridge; 180 Wishing Crystals on the lawn hill; countdown with a DJ set by Park Myung-soo and fireworks
- Seoul Mediahub — 올해 마지막 밤 산책은 여기로! '서울라이트 DDP' (29 Dec 2025)municipal — Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station Exit 1 leads to Eoullim Plaza; shows every 30 minutes from 18:00; six works of 3–5 minutes (Seoulful Winter, Merry Beat Seoul, Seoul with LINE FRIENDS, DDP Winter's Gift, A Christmas Adventure, DDP Luminarie)
- Seoul Mediahub — 서울에 오로라가 나타났다! '서울라이트 DDP 2025 가을' 개막 (1 Sep 2025)municipal — Autumn 2025: 28 Aug–7 Sep, 20:00–22:00, free; works by Aka Chang, Laurent Grasso, d'strict, Choi Se-hoon and Timo Helgert
- Seoul Mediahub — 겨울엔 무조건 여기! 설레는 '서울라이트DDP' 19일 개막 (3 Dec 2024)municipal — Winter 2024: 19–31 Dec (13 days), 19:00–21:30, six shows at 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00 and 21:30, 18-minute programme '5 Cheers!' with five artists; countdown 23:00–01:30 with fireworks; DDP Design Market 19–25 Dec, 24 teams, 16:00–22:00 weekdays and 14:00–22:00 weekends and holidays; about 75,000 at the 2023 countdown; Dasan 02-120
- Monthly Design (design.co.kr) — 빛과 예술로 도시를 물들이다, <서울라이트 DDP> (19 Dec 2024)news — Begun 2019 and held every winter, two runs a year (autumn and winter) from 2023; artists by year; 1.16 million visitors in 2023 and 610,000 in autumn 2024; Red Dot and IDEA bronze awards in 2023; 2024 VERSEDAY production, music by Yoon Sang, countdown with Glen Check, Balming Tiger and an Ahn Graphics façade
- Seoul Mediahub — DDP, 올가을 화려해진다…김환기 품은 서울라이트 29일 개막 (16 Aug 2024)municipal — Autumn 2024: 29 Aug–8 Sep, 20:00–22:00 every 30 minutes, free; 'Poem of Time' on nine Kim Whanki works, video by Park Je-sung, music by Yoon Sang
- Seoul Metropolitan Government Chinese site — 首尔之光 DDP 2024 秋季 openingmunicipal — Simplified Chinese name 首尔之光 DDP; autumn 2024 29 Aug–8 Sep, 20:00–22:00 every 30 minutes, free
- Seoul Mediahub — 새해 카운트다운은 불꽃과 함께! '서울라이트 DDP' 21일 개막 (18 Dec 2023)municipal — Winter 2023: 21–31 Dec, 18:00–22:00, to 01:30 after midnight on 31 Dec; opening 17:45 on 21 Dec; Digital Atlantis hourly 18:00–21:00 (10 minutes), Devsisters piece every half hour 18:30–21:30 (5 minutes); free; countdown 23:00–01:30 with the first rooftop fireworks; indoor Christmas market; live link with Gwanghwamun and Bosingak
- The Korea Times — New digital facade at Seoul's award-winning design plaza to light up city (1 Aug 2023)news — Autumn 2023: 31 Aug–10 Sep, 'digital nature' by Miguel Chevalier; 2022 winter run 15 days, six shows a day from 19:00, about 1 million visitors, 97 percent satisfied; Red Dot 2023; begun 2019 with Refik Anadol; Seoul Light Gwanghwamun and Han River spin-offs
- Asia Economy — GIANTSTEP Red Dot award for Seoul Light DDP (3 Aug 2023)news — Held twice a year, in autumn and winter, since 2019; 2022 autumn character Cosmo Walker; Rendez-Vous in December 2022
- Seoul Mediahub — 도심의 밤, 역동적이고 화려한 '서울라이트 DDP' (21 Dec 2022)municipal — Winter 2022: from 17 Dec (table to 31 Dec, text to 1 Jan 2023), shows 19:00–22:00 on the 222 m west wall; Rendez-Vous by GIANTSTEP, Nsyme and Team HELLOMAN; Christmas programme 22–30 Dec; Opposites United at 20:30; countdown 23:45 on 31 Dec; autumn 2022 programmes
- Seoul Shinmun — DDP 220m 외벽 물들인 화려한 빛… '서울라이트' 17일 개막 (9 Dec 2021)news — Winter 2021: 17 Dec 2021–2 Jan 2022, four shows hourly from 19:00, third edition, Park Je-sung's 12-minute work on the 220 m wall, 100 light trees about 2 m tall, booking on the DDP website with 99 per show
- Seoul Mediahub — SEOUL LIGHT! 새봄, 희망의 빛으로 (30 Mar 2021)municipal — Spring 2021 (second edition): 26 Mar–1 Apr 2021, Seoul Haemong II by Refik Anadol, shows at 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30 and 22:00, about 10 minutes, on the 220 m west wall seen from Eoullim Plaza
- Seoul Mediahub — 다시 움트는 희망의 빛 '서울라이트' (1 Apr 2021)municipal — Spring 2021: 26 Mar–1 Apr, Seoul Haemong II from about 6 million photographs of Seoul; DDP at 을지로 281
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 서울라이트 results (7 Jan 2020)official — First edition 20 Dec 2019–3 Jan 2020 (15 days), 19:00–22:00 on the hour, 16 minutes; Seoul Haemong by Refik Anadol, 220 m, 28 projectors, 62 speakers; more than 1 million visitors, over 60,000 a day; 104 shops; five neighbouring buildings dimmed; countdown video 23:57–00:10; Seoul and Seoul Design Foundation
- Seoul Mediahub — 벌써부터 두근! 환상적인 겨울 빛 축제 '서울라이트' (7 Nov 2019)municipal — 2019 was the first year; organizers Seoul and the Seoul Design Foundation; main artist Refik Anadol; projection on DDP's west wall
- KTO TourAPI listing DDP 건축투어 (contentId 3473295)kto — DDP address 을지로 281 (을지로7가), coordinates 37.5661, 127.0096, homepage ddp.or.kr
- KTO tourist data — 서울라이트 DDP 2026 가을 (ktriptips mirror, contentId 2640874)kto — Seoul Light DDP autumn edition 3–13 Sep 2026, 19:30–22:30, free; DDP at 을지로 281
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 2024 서울윈터페스타 & 2024 제야의 종 타종행사 (events calendar)official — 2024: free except the rink; Seoul Light DDP 19–31 Dec 19:00–21:30 (Seoul Design Foundation)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government Japanese newsletter, January 2025municipal — Seoul Light DDP 775,719 visitors in the 2024 winter festa
- Seoul Mediahub — 겨울축제 끝판왕! 서울 매력명소 7곳서 '서울윈타' 개최 (22 Nov 2023)municipal — First Seoul Winter Festa in 2023; Seoul Light DDP and DDP Christmas market 21–31 Dec
- Seoul Mediahub — 설렘 폭발! 환상적인 겨울 축제 '서울윈터페스타' 온다 (Nov 2025)municipal — 2025 Seoul Winter Festa programmes: Seoul Light DDP 18–31 Dec, the lanterns, the Gwanghwamun Market and the Seoul Plaza rink, each with its own dates
- Seoul Mediahub — 31일 보신각 '제야의 종' 타종행사, 지하철·버스 막차 연장 (30 Dec 2025)municipal — New Year's Eve 2025: subway Lines 1–9 ran until about 02:00
- Seoul Mediahub — 10주년 맞은 DDP (Mar 2024)municipal — DDP right outside Exit 1 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Lines 2, 4 and 5); 281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu; run by the Seoul Design Foundation
- Seoul Mediahub — 디자인 따라 서울 한 바퀴! '서울디자인위크'가 온다 (2 Oct 2026)municipal — Seoul Design Week 2026: 14–25 Oct at DDP
- KTO tourist data — 2026 서울디자인위크 (ktriptips mirror, contentId 3011280, page titled 서울디자인 2023)kto — Spots near DDP listed by KTO, including Jeil Pyeonghwa Market and Jinokhwa Halmae Wonjo Dakhanmari
- Hankyung: 9월 1일부터 서울~부산 KTX 5만4400원…운임 평균 10% 인하 (31 Aug 2026)news — KTX Seoul–Busan ₩54,400 standard class from 1 Sep 2026
- Busan → Seoul Station train timetable, 16–22 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed)other — KTX Busan–Seoul about 2 h 30 m
- IBS — Transportation to Daejeon (AREX section)other — AREX express Incheon–Seoul Station about 40 minutes
- 공항철도 직통열차·일반열차 시간표, 노선, 요금 정리 (EZL blog, updated Jul 2025)blog — AREX express adult fare Seoul Station–Incheon Airport ₩13,000 with a ticket bought before boarding
- Seoul City Wall (Seoul Metropolitan Government) — Naksan Mountain Trail courseofficial — Naksan Mountain Trail: 3.2 km, about 1 hour, Hyehwamun to Heunginjimun via Naksan Park and Ihwa Village; open 24 hours; sunset and night views; keep quiet for residents; Hyehwa Station Exit 1, 5 minutes on foot to the trail entrance
- Seoul Lantern Festival — hours notice (16 Dec 2025)official — 2025 lanterns lit 18:00–23:00 (read for this site's Seoul Lantern Festival record)
- Seoul Winter Festival official site (winta.co.kr)official — Read for this site's Seoul Lantern Festival record on 21 Oct 2026: Seoul Lantern Festival 11 Dec 2026–31 Jan 2027; it also listed Seoul Light DDP for 11 Dec 2026–31 Jan 2027
- ivisitkorea — Cheonggyecheon Streamblog — City Hall Station Exit 4 or 5, about 5 minutes to Cheonggye Plaza
What we could not confirm
- 2026 winter closing date, hours, programme and countdown times: only the 17 December start and a 31 December countdown are published (Seoul Mediahub, 28 Sep 2026, whose sentence reads '오늘 12월 17일부터', apparently a typo for '오는'). Recheck in late November or early December 2026.
- Whether a December 2020 edition was held or cancelled: the spring 2021 run (26 Mar–1 Apr) is described as the second edition, and no 2020 run was found.
- 2025 winter hours differ: 18:00–21:30 (city notice) vs 18:00–22:00 (Mediahub articles); the 2025 countdown start time was not published.
- Visitor figures mix calendar years (1.16 million in 2023, 1.92 million in 2025) with single runs (775,719 in winter 2024, 610,000 in autumn 2024); no winter-only figure for 2025 was found.
- Official Japanese and Traditional Chinese names were not found; Seoul's Chinese site uses 首尔之光 DDP.
- KTO has a festival entry (contentId 2640874, now titled 서울라이트 DDP 2026 가을), read only through a third-party mirror; it is not in the site's TourAPI snapshot.
- DDP parking, wheelchair access to the viewing areas, restrooms and the rain or snow policy during the festival were not checked.
- The Line 4 connection from Seoul Station (for AREX and KTX arrivals) is from the subway map, not a fetched source.
- The search budget ran out before Yonhap and The Korea Herald coverage could be checked.
- winta.co.kr (as read for the Seoul Lantern Festival record on 21 Oct 2026) lists Seoul Light DDP for 11 Dec 2026–31 Jan 2027, unlike the 17 December start used here; dates were not changed in the 29 Oct 2026 nearby rewrite. Recheck against the city's announcement.
- 2026 lantern hours on Cheonggyecheon are not published; the 'after' pairing relies on the 2025 closing time of 23:00. Line 2 ride time from Dongdaemun History & Culture Park to City Hall was not checked.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Corrected the AREX express fare from Incheon Airport to ₩13,000 (the earlier ₩8,000 came from a 2018 page). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of the exterior of Dongdaemun Design Plaza at night (lumoplank, CC0). · 2026-10-29 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: removed the 2025 New Year's Eve subway clock time and added a Korail+ check for a same-night KTX back to Busan; prices: no change (entry is free).
