By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Dec. 27 that the cumulative number of visitors to its winter festival, Seoul Winter Festa 2024, has surpassed 3.32 million within two weeks of its opening.
According to the city, this year's Seoul Winter Festival, which kicked off on Dec. 13, is taking place in various parts of the city center, including Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon. The cumulative number is a result of counting visitors to the six venues.
In particular, the Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, a giant media façade in Gwanghwamun, and the Seoul Light Lantern Festival, which showcased 240 light sculptures along the Cheonggyecheon waterway, were particularly popular, the city said.
The Santa Village concept of Gwanghwamun Market, which was built in Gwanghwamun Square, has attracted many families.
The Seoul Plaza skating rink, which opened on Dec. 20, attracted about 30,000 people in its first week, the city added, especially foreign tourists who received free access through a partnership with the Discover Seoul Pass.
“Seoul Winter Festa has been featured in major foreign media such as China's Xinhua News Agency, Japan's NNA, Argentina's Panorama Directo, and Qatar's Al Jazeera as a representative festival where visitors can enjoy a safe and vibrant winter in Seoul,” said a city official.
Seoul Winter Festa will continue until January 5 next year. The Seoul Light Lantern Festival in Cheonggyecheon will run until Jan. 12, and the Seoul Plaza Skating Rink will run until Feb. 9.
“Seoul Winter Festa's status as a global festival is growing,” said Lee Hoe-sung, head of the city's Culture Division. ”We will do our best to make the festival safer and more dignified so that Seoul can become a top winter tourism destination for the world.”
