Where to go to enjoy the end-of-year atmosphere in seoul

The final month of 2013 is here. The days grow shorter, the weather turns colder, and minds get busy reflecting on the previous year and planning for the next. It’s a time of both sadness and hope, with a little bit of holiday cheer thrown in.

If you’ve bought your winter clothes, there are a ton of places in Seoul to go in December, either to enjoy the crowds or to reflect in (relative) solitude. Let’s explore some of them.

Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and Seoul Plaza

The heart of old Seoul, the Gwanghwamun area celebrates winter in a big and very bright way. Come Christmastime, you’ll find more lights here per square kilometer than perhaps anywhere else on the planet. Cheonggyecheon Stream plays host to the “Festival of Lights,” during which mesmerizing light displays are erected in and around Cheonggyecheon Plaza. At Seoul Plaza, you’ll know its Christmastime when you see the 20 meter-plus Christmas tree go up. And at Gwanghwamun Square, the city sets up an ice skating rink where you can skate the evening away for a mere 1,000 won an hour (skates and helmet included), with Gyeongbokgung Palace as your backdrop.

The downtown area is best reached via City Hall Station, Line 1. Everything is within walking distance from there.

The department stores

Christmas might not be celebrated in Korea like it is in the West, but don’t tell the department stores that. Seoul’s big department stores mark the season with displays, crowds, and a sea of LED lights. Home to the landmark Lotte and Shinsegae department stores, Myeong-dong’s the best place to go. You don’t even have to buy anything—just soak up the atmosphere. The historic Shinsegae Department Store is covered with an LED display that makes for an especially eye-catching night scene.

Myeong-dong is reached by Myeong-dong Station, Line 4.

The churches

Christmas might be commercialized in much of the world, but for some, the day is still the birthday of Jesus. Most churches in Seoul hold special services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Historic Myeong-dong Cathedral (774-1784) holds a special midnight mass on Christmas Eve, while equally historic Chungdong Methodist Church (753-0001) and Seoul Anglican Cathedral (730-6611) in Jeong-dong hold services in English on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Myeong-dong Cathedral is a 10 minute walk from Exit 5 of Euljiro 1-ga Subway Station, Line 2.
Chungdong Methodist Church is best reached via Exit 1 of City Hall Station, Line 1: just walk along the southern stone wall of Deoksugung Palace until you reach the red-brick church. Seoul Anglican Cathedral is a short walk from Exit 3 of City Hall Station.

Ring in the New Year at Jonggak

New York has its ball drop in Times Square; Seoul has Jonggak Belfry, where Seoul’s mayor and other city notables ring in the New Year by tolling the famous bell. It’s a major media event and the crowds are enormous, but the energy is enormous, too, and it’s a great opportunity to explore the bars in the alleys of Seoul’s central Jongno district.

Exit 4, Jonggak Station, Line 1.

Sunrise, Sunset

At the end of the year, many Koreans flock to take in the last sunset of the passing year. Others flock to take in the first sunrise of the new year. And some take in both.

For sunsets, the two best places to go are Noeul Park in Sangam-dong and Dongjak Bridge on the Hangang River. Noeul (“Sunset”) Park was once a landfill, but it is now an elevated grassland that offers a wonderful spot to watch the sun set over the Hangang River. Dongjak Bridge, meanwhile, offers breathtaking sunsets over the river and the skyscrapers of Yeouido. If you don’t like the cold, the bridge’s Sunset Café lets you enjoy the sunset warm and sound over a hot drink.

For sunrises, the best option is one of the special tour boats on the Hangang River that set out in the pre-dawn hours. If these are sold out, you can also opt for a water taxi, which you can share with other morning merrymakers. This writer personally likes the sunrise over Yeouido from Yanghwa Bridge. The athletically inclined can head to Mt. Dobongsan in the north of Seoul—the sunrise is jaw-dropping if you can stand the cold.

Noeul Park

Noeul Park is part of the larger World Cup Park complex and is reached by Exit 1 of World Cup Stadium Station, Line 6.

Dongjak Bridge

Take bus No. 502 from Exit 1, Dongjak Subway Station, Line 4 or 9, and get off at the Jeonmangdae stop.

Hangang Cruise

The New Year’s sunrise cruises depart from Yeouido Dock. At this hour, you’ll want to take a cab there.

Yanghwa Bridge

Just take a cab and get off at the observatory platforms on the bridge. Mt. Dobongsan: Exit 1, Dobongsan Station, Line 1 or 7.

Written by Robert Koehler
Photographed by Ryu Seunghoo and Robert Koehler