Seoul in January

Happy New Year! ✨ What’s your New Year ritual? In Korea, many locals seek out sunrise spots on the first day of January or visit tarot shops for fortune-telling services. January is also the perfect month to enjoy winter activities and celebrate the New Year holidays. Here are 4 key festivals and pop-ups, along with a one-day itinerary tailored for this month! ⛄️

In January, temperatures in Seoul range from a low of -6°C to a high of 2°C, with occasional snowfall. ❄️ As the coldest month in Korea, make sure to pack a puffer jacket and a scarf. Winter boots and gloves are also recommended! Check out the images below for some inspiration on how locals dress for the season!

Check out the outdoor ice rink in the heart of Seoul! Located at Seoul Plaza near Myeongdong and Gyeongbokgung Palace, the rink is surrounded by cafes and snack shops. Admission is just KRW 1,000 per hour, and skate rentals are included at no extra cost. Tickets can be purchased at kiosks on-site or booked online.

📍Seoul Plaza 🗓️ Dec 20, 2024 (Fri) - Feb 9, 2025 (Sun)

Welcome to Hangang River Park, where you can enjoy snow sledding, ice fishing, and a variety of winter delicacies! If you're traveling in Korea with kids, it's definitely a must-visit. The festival runs from 9 AM to 5 PM, with an admission fee of KRW 6,000 for snow sledding. Additional costs apply for each round of attractions and winter activities. 📍Hangang River Park (Ttukseom, Jamwon, Yeouido) 📅 Dec 24, 2024 (Tue) ~ Feb 16, 2025 (Sun)

You can't talk about K-pop without bringing up BTS! The BT21 character pop-up event is open at the LINE FRIENDS flagship store in Hongdae until January 13. It's open from 11 AM to 10 PM, and you can check out items like Angel & Villain-themed plushies, keychains, and a silicone gel pen set. 📍Line Friends Hongdae Flagship Store 🗓️ Dec 13, 2024 (Fri) - Jan 13, 2025 (Mon)

TIRTIR, one of the hottest K-beauty brands in Korea, has opened a solo pop-up store in Seongsu! You can find the Mask Fit Red Cushion, which became the first K-beauty product to top the beauty category on Amazon, along with best-sellers and new additions to their cushion and lip product lineup. 📍MM Seoungsu 🗓️ Dec 12, 2024 (Thur) - Jan 12, 2025 (Sun)

Start your day at Jamwon Hangang River Park, where you can try ice fishing 🎣 and snow sledding. For dinner, indulge in galbijjim in Gangnam! Later, visit a Tarot shop to kickstart your 2025. To wrap up the day, enjoy a warm cup of coffee ☕️ at a cozy café with festive winter vibes.

Enjoy various rides, including mini biking and a carousel. You can also try ice fishing, a unique experience only available in Gangwon-do, and have them fried on the spot! 👀 Plus, you can make dalgona candy, just like in Netflix's Squid Game! 🍭

Popular year-round, but especially one of the go-to spots for locals at the beginning of the year, tarot readings! Musung Tarot 🎑 offers consultations in English and Japanese. They offer a range of options, from a simple tarot reading for KRW 10,000 to a more in-depth fortune-telling and compatibility reading for KRW 80,000.

A popular galbijjim spot located just 4 minutes from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 6. Galbijjim is one of the local favorites enjoyed during the Lunar New Year. You can control the spiciness from level 1 to 6, and there's also a creamy version. If there's a long wait, the main branch is just 2 minutes away!

A bakery café spread over four floors, just a 1 minute walk from Musung Tarot. You can enjoy a variety of drinks, from traditional Korean ssanghwa-cha to an Einspanner with mugwort or black sesame. Their signature dessert is the salted bread. 🥐 Plus, the café is filled with photo spots 📷 on every floor!

Seollal (Lunar New Year) is a major holiday in Korea that celebrates the start of the new year! This year, the holiday will be from January 28 to 30, with the actual day falling on the 29th. Koreans typically return to their hometowns to spend time with family. It's a tradition to gather and perform a ritual to honor ancestors, as well as to bow and wish elders a happy new year.

A must-have food for Seollal is tteokguk (rice cake soup). In addition, people enjoy a variety of dishes like jeon (Korean pancakes), galbijjim (braised short ribs), japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), and hangwa (traditional Korean sweets). Traditionally, Koreans enjoy folk games like yutnori (a board game) and kite flying, and visit their ancestors' graves to pay respects. There's also the custom of bowing to elders in the family and neighborhood, in exchange for sebaedon (pocket money).

Take a trip to Gyeonggi-do, full of winter attractions like Nami Island, the Korean Folk Village, Everland, and ski resorts! Gyeonggi-do Tourism Organization and TRIPLE Korea have prepared an exclusive 20% discount coupon just for you! 🙌🏻