Seoul to hold morning strolls from Hapjeong to Yeouido park

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will launch a program that temporarily turns busy city roads into pedestrian spaces on weekend mornings. On Saturday, the city will open part of a central street in Yeouido and sections of Mapo Bridge, creating a 2.5-kilometer walking route. The event, called My Pace Morning, will run from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., with about 7,000 participants expected to join through online reservations and on-site registration. The city emphasized that the program is not a competitiv

March 12, 2026

Seoul’s all-inclusive travel pass logs record sales in 2025

The Seoul Tourism Organization announced Wednesday that sales of the Discover Seoul Pass, the city’s official travel pass, reached a record 710,000 units last year, reflecting its growing popularity among foreign visitors. The all-in-one pass, available in four price tiers ranging from 49,000 won to 130,000 won ($34-90), offers admission to more than 70 tourist attractions, public transportation fares and mobile data for up to five days after activation. The pass is available exclusively to fore

Feb. 11, 2026

Extra long weekend in July, as Constitution Day reinstated as public holiday

Constitution Day on July 17 will be reinstated as a national holiday, following a revision to the relevant law on Thursday. This brings the total number of official non-working days in 2026 from 118 to 119, with the new holiday falling on a Friday, creating a long weekend for many workers. Lawmakers on Thursday passed a revision to the Act on Public Holidays during a regular parliamentary session. It is now pending approval at a Cabinet meeting. Once in effect, Constitution Day -- which commemor

Jan. 29, 2026

Seoul city councilor resigns over bribery allegations

A Seoul city councilor said Monday she will resign over allegations she bribed a lawmaker to win a nomination for her councilorship ahead of the 2022 local elections. Kim Kyung stated her intention in a statement released by her lawyer, saying she submitted her letter of resignation to the chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council earlier in the day. Kim is under police investigation for allegedly giving 100 million won ($69,300) to Rep. Kang Sun-woo, who recently left the ruling Democratic Party

Jan. 26, 2026

Seoul adds English to taxi receipts to curb overcharging of foreigners

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it began issuing bilingual taxi receipts in December 2025 to curb a rise in complaints over taxi drivers overcharging foreign national passengers. The new receipts include English translations of the total fare, pick-up and drop-off times, late-night and out-of-district surcharges, as well as information on how to report cases of overcharging. The city also requested that private taxi-hailing platforms such as Kakao Mobility and Tada offer fare

Jan. 20, 2026

Seoul's most talked-about park online is right next to one of its hippest areas

Of Seoul’s 26 city-run parks, Seoul Forest was the most talked online, data showed Thursday. According to an analysis conducted by the Seoul AI Foundation, Seoul Forest in the eastern district of Seongdong accounted for 33.7 percent of all online mentions in 2024, ranking first by a wide margin. Yeouido Park came in second with 10 percent of mentions, followed by Children’s Grand Park at 8.7 percent. Namsan Park, which recorded the highest proportion of positive mentions, ranked fifth with 5.4 p

Jan. 10, 2026

How 'K-' became marker of national value

For Choi Yoo-jin, president of Korea's Institute of Nation Brand Promotion, the rise of “K” brands in multiple industries is no longer a passing trend, but a marker of national value. “Right now, globally, anything with a ‘K’ attached to it is considered big,” Choi told The Korea Herald during an interview on the sidelines of Seoul Vibe, a networking event bringing together influencers active both in Korea and abroad, at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul. “When you add ‘K’ to a brand, it

Dec. 30, 2025

Why Seoul bets on ‘fun’ to build its next business ecosystem

Business events no longer succeed simply by showcasing good products, according to Kim Hyun-woo, CEO of Seoul Business Agency. In today’s market, he argues, consumption begins with experience — and the stories created through it. That belief shaped the agency’s approach to hosting an influencer-centered networking program, Seoul Vibe, designed not only as a promotional showcase but as a place where enjoyment, relationships and commerce naturally intersect. “Business used to be simple — if the pr

Dec. 30, 2025

Where to welcome the New Year in Seoul

Seoul will light up Wednesday night as it ushers in the New Year with events spanning historic landmarks, theme parks and skyscraper observatories. From large public shows to ticketed parties, below is a guide to the capital's countdown hotspots. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host the country’s largest countdown show at Gwanghwamun Square, stretching roughly 800 meters along Sejong-daero. Nine massive electronic display boards installed on nearby landmarks will simultaneously screen a c

Dec. 29, 2025

[Photo News] Seoul showcases antipoverty pilot at global forum

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (front row, center), Seoul City Council Speaker Choi Ho-jung (front row, fourth from left), Chicago University Professor James Robinson (front row, fourth from right) and professor Pasi Moisio of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (front row, third from right) pose at the opening ceremony of the Seoul International Forum on Stepping Stone Income 2025 in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Tuesday. The forum explores the achievements and future development of Seoul’s propriet

Dec. 23, 2025

Heading to Myeong-dong? Expect holiday crowds

Seoul’s Jung-gu District said Monday it would strengthen crowd safety measures ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, as large crowds are expected in Myeong-dong, one of the city’s busiest shopping areas. The district designated six days, from Christmas Eve through Dec. 27 and from New Year’s Eve to Jan. 1, 2026, as a special crowd management period. During this time, it will operate a real-time information-sharing and rapid-response system to address potential overcrowding. On Christmas

Dec. 22, 2025

From Gwanghwamun to Han River, Seoul rolls out winter festivities across the city

As winter settles over the capital, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is turning the city’s historic heart into a large-scale canvas of light, hoping that media art and year-end events can keep residents and visitors coming to public spaces despite the cold. One of the city's winter plans is the “2025 Seoul Light Gwanghwamun,” a media art festival that will run for 24 days from Dec. 12 through Jan. 4 at Gwanghwamun Square. Now in its fourth year, the event is designed to combine digital art with

Dec. 22, 2025

Seoul’s push to bury aging roads revives questions over Dongbu Expressway's illegal past

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's recent move to build an underground expressway in the northern part of the city has renewed scrutiny over another aging road structure: a major arterial road stained since its creation 30 years ago by flood risk and its illegal construction. The Dongbu Expressway in northwestern Seoul runs directly along — and partially occupies — the Jungnangcheon. It was designated an illegal facility in 1994 after authorities concluded it obstructed water flow and increased

Dec. 19, 2025

Seoul Express Bus Terminal to get full redevelopment

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing ahead with plans to transform the aging Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu into a 60-story multipurpose complex integrating transportation, business, residential and cultural functions. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, the city government officially launched preliminary negotiations with Shinsegae Central Inc. and Seoul Express Bus Terminal Co., two private sector operators of the 146,260-square-meter site selected for

Nov. 26, 2025

Winter festa gets Seoul into holiday spirit

Seoul is turning its plazas and palaces into a giant winter wonderland for the Seoul Winter Festa, a 24-day celebration of light shows, skating and K-culture that drew more than five million visitors last year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday it will host a large-scale winter festival in December, along with city-wide cultural experiences and interactive performances. Also known as Seoul Winter Festa, the city government will showcase its winter festivities from Dec. 12 to Jan. 4 a

Nov. 24, 2025