Even with the biting winter wind, year-end warmth flows along the Han River. A string of winter festivals featuring Christmas lights, performances, and markets is turning the urban riverside into a romantic winter stage.
The Seoul city government said it will host the 2025 Han River Winter Festival starting on the 19th. The festival will take place at Ttukseom Han River Park and under Cheongdam Bridge, and around Banpo Han River Park and Sebitseom, offering a variety of programs to soak up the year-end mood.
At Ttukseom Han River Park, the Romantic Han River Christmas Market will open. There will be shops selling Christmas trinkets, a food zone for winter treats, and photo spots with trees and lights as backdrops. In particular, an 8-meter-tall giant Christmas tree has been installed under Cheongdam Bridge.
Indoor spaces to escape the cold have also been prepared. Inside the Ttukseom Jabeolle, photo zones such as Christmas Panorama blending Christmas-themed videos and a tree, Romantic Lounge, Over the Window, and Joyful Playground will be set up.
The food zone will operate in the area under Cheongdam Bridge. A total of 16 food trucks and special sellers will offer warm winter foods and desserts, and an indoor dining zone will also be set up to keep out the chill.
Indoor hands-on programs are also planned. A total of 10 programs, including making ceramic ornaments and keyrings, will run, and participation is available through online pre-registration. The Christmas market will be held daily from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. from the 19th to the 25th at the Ttukseom Han River Park Jabeolle and the area under Cheongdam Bridge.
On the riverbank in front of Sebitseom at Banpo Han River Park, Spring ON Han River, composed of about 10 domes, will debut. It will be arranged as experiential spaces such as a spring flower dome, a rest dome, and a photo dome.
The spring flower dome will feature a giant daisy, a wisteria tunnel, and cherry blossoms to evoke a spring vibe. In the photo dome, visitors can take pictures with Christmas and New Year themes, and the rest dome will be set up like a campsite so people can relax while enjoying winter snacks. It will be available for free without reservations from the 19th to the 28th.
Alongside this, the Han River Wind Festival, a kite-flying event based on traditional folk games, will be held. It will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the 27th and 28th on the waterfront stage in front of Sebitseom, where families can make and fly ray-shaped kites. The kite-making experience is free and limited to 200 people per day, and advance registration is required through the Seoul city public service reservation system.
Through the 30th, the 2025 Nodeul Winter Festa will take place around Nodeulseom. This year's festival is themed "the snowman that doesn't melt." At the entrance in front of the west-side bus stop on Nodeulseom, an 8-meter-tall giant Christmas tree decorated with snowflake ornaments will be installed. In front of the entrance to Nodeul Seoga and in the central garden on the first floor, a Christmas market will open featuring beverages, alcohol, warm foods, and stylish object brands.
On the 24th, a performance by the inclusive orchestra Einsbaum will be held, and on Christmas Day, the 25th, in connection with Piano Seoul of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, 30 citizen buskers will stage a relay performance on the first floor of Nodeul Seoga.
At the outdoor pools in the Ttukseom, Jamwon, and Yeouido Han River Parks, the Han River sledding hills will operate. A large slope (ages 6 and up), a small slope (36 months to under 6 years), and a snow playground will be offered, along with various hands-on events such as smelt fishing. At the Seoul Battleship Park in Mangwon Han River Park, a special exhibition themed "Santa Claus's Christmas secret mission" will also be held.
Park Jin-young, head of the Future Han River Headquarters at the Seoul city government, said, "We prepared a variety of winter programs so citizens can wrap up the year warmly."