'2025 Seoul Light Gwanghwamun' Illuminates the Heart of Seoul with Light

A Spectacular Winter Night with 3.15 Million Visitors Concludes Successfully

'2025 Seoul Light Gwanghwamun,' which has established itself as Seoul's representative winter cultural content, successfully concluded its 24-day run on January 4, 2025, after opening on December 12, 2024. This event attracted approximately 3.15 million visitors, making it a record-breaking nighttime cultural festival enjoyed by both citizens and tourists in the heart of downtown Seoul.

'2025 Seoul Light Gwanghwamun' was a large-scale media art festival staged throughout the Gwanghwamun area. Centered around the Gwanghwamun media facade, it captivated visitors with a variety of content, including the Lucky Path, the Wishing Wall, the Sejong Pavilion, and 'The Night When Hope Blooms.' The spatial design, which connected Gwanghwamun Square, Sejong-daero, and nearby historical and cultural sites into one massive stage, was praised for reinterpreting the entire city center with art and light.

During the event, spontaneous sharing of photos and videos on social media led to a significant viral effect. Stories and compliments from visitors-families, couples, and friends-were consistently posted online, with many describing it as "the best way to enjoy Seoul's winter nights in the most beautiful way."

Ms. A, a woman in her 20s who visited the Seoul Light Gwanghwamun event, said that coming from Incheon with her sister to see the exhibition was absolutely worth it, adding, "The exhibition was truly beautiful and made Seoul nights even more special."

Additionally, Ms. B, a woman in her 40s, shared that while visiting the exhibition with her child on a cold day, she was grateful to the Seoul Metropolitan Government for thoughtfully providing a cold wave shelter. She explained, "When my child was shivering in the cold, an event staff member kindly guided us to the cold wave shelter, where we were able to warm up together."

The highlight of the festival was undoubtedly the New Year's countdown event. On the last night of the year, with performances by famous artists such as Yoon Minsu and Balming Tiger, all the electronic billboards in the Gwanghwamun Free Display Zone-including nine locations such as The Dong-A Ilbo and Digital Chosun-were synchronized for the countdown, transforming central Seoul into one grand stage. The scene of countless citizens welcoming the New Year together created a spectacle reminiscent of "Korea's Times Square," leaving a strong impression on both domestic and international tourists.

Ms. C, a woman in her 30s who visited Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, said, "The Gwanghwamun Fashion Road and artist performances during the New Year's countdown event were truly impressive. Seeing so many foreigners taking photos amid the dazzling lights made me feel so proud and special to be living in Seoul."

'2025 Seoul Light Gwanghwamun' went beyond a simple exhibition, once again proving the potential of Seoul-style nighttime cultural content that blends city, citizens, and technology. Filling the winter of downtown Seoul with light, this event is now recognized as a representative cultural asset showcasing the competitiveness of Seoul as a global tourist city.

Choi Inkyu, Director of Design Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "The 2025 Seoul Light Gwanghwamun event concluded successfully with enthusiastic support from citizens and visitors. The New Year's countdown event in 2027 will be further expanded and improved compared to this year, providing new hope and positive energy to citizens welcoming the New Year."