Seoul at Christmas and New Year 2026: Seoul Winter Festa, Christmas Markets, the Bosingak Bell, Then On to Busan with Luggage
Christmas and New Year in Seoul centre on the city-run Seoul Winter Festa: in 2025 it ran from 12 December to 4 January 2026, linking the Christmas market on Gwanghwamun Square, the Seoul Lantern Festival along Cheonggyecheon, the Seoul Plaza ice rink and the New Year's Eve bell ringing at Bosingak. The 2026 dates haven't been announced yet; expect a similar mid-December to early-January run and check the City of Seoul's announcement. If you're heading on to Busan after New Year, your luggage can go from your Seoul hotel to your Busan hotel the same day while you ride the KTX with just a day bag.
Key takeaways
- Seoul Winter Festa 2025 ran 12 December–4 January 2026; the Seoul Lantern Festival on Cheonggyecheon was extended to 18 January and the Seoul Plaza ice rink ran to 8 February. The 2026 edition hasn't been announced.
- In 2025 the Gwanghwamun Market (a European-style Christmas market) ran 12–31 December, and the Bosingak bell is rung at midnight on 31 December.
- Friday 25 December 2026 is a public holiday in Korea, creating a three-day weekend, and Friday 1 January is another three-day weekend, so the city and transport are busier than usual.
- The temporary K-ETA exemption for countries and territories including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan runs until 31 December 2026 (Korea time); whether you need a K-ETA to enter from 1 January 2027 depends on the official K-ETA site.
- LuggAgent can deliver your bags from Incheon Airport to your Seoul hotel and from your Seoul hotel to your Busan hotel the same day (at least 9 hours from pickup to delivery).
When is Seoul Winter Festa 2026, and what's on?
Seoul Winter Festa is the City of Seoul's year-end winter festival, tying together light shows, markets and New Year events at several downtown sites. The table shows the actual 2025 dates; the 2026 edition is expected around the same time, so check the Seoul Media Hub or the Seoul Winter Festa website for official dates.
| Event | 2025 dates | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Light Gwanghwamun | 12 Dec–4 Jan | Gwanghwamun gate and the north of Gwanghwamun Square | Media art projected on the gate |
| Gwanghwamun Market | 12–31 Dec | Gwanghwamun Square | European-style Christmas market, carousel |
| Seoul Lantern Festival | 12 Dec–18 Jan (extended) | Cheonggyecheon and Uicheon area | Large lanterns along the stream |
| Seoul Light DDP | 18–31 Dec | Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) | Media façade on the outer wall, Christmas town |
| Seoul Plaza Ice Rink | 19 Dec–8 Feb | Seoul Plaza | Outdoor skating, carol performances |
| Bosingak Bell Ringing | 31 Dec–1 Jan | Around Bosingak | Midnight bell, media show on the pavilion roof |
Opening hours are published each year, so check each event's site before you go. Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon, Seoul Plaza and Bosingak are all within walking distance, so you can string them together in one evening.
Lanterns along Cheonggyecheon at the 2019 Seoul Lantern Festival. Photo: Ethan Doyle White / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Where to spend New Year's Eve in Seoul: the Bosingak bell ringing
Seoul's signature New Year's Eve event is the bell ringing at Bosingak in Jongno at midnight on 31 December; in 2025 it also featured a media show on the pavilion roof and an LED dance performance. The crowds are huge and nearby roads may be closed to traffic, so arrive early, dress warmly and plan your route back to the hotel in advance.
- Stay in Jongno, Gwanghwamun or Myeongdong and you can walk back after midnight.
- If you'd rather avoid the crush, see the lanterns on Cheonggyecheon and count down near your hotel.
- 1 January is a public holiday in Korea, and some shops and restaurants close or shorten their hours.
Bosingak in Jongno, where the New Year's Eve bell is rung. Photo: Tristan Surtel / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Where to stay in Seoul for Christmas and New Year: Myeongdong, Jongno or Seoul Station?
The Christmas and New Year events cluster between Gwanghwamun and Jongno, so Myeongdong or Jongno puts you within walking distance; if you're taking the KTX to Busan afterwards, the Seoul Station area is the most convenient. The three areas are one or two subway stops apart.
| Area | To Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon | Pros | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myeongdong | Walk or 1–2 subway stops | Shopping and food in one place; direct airport buses | Busiest area at year-end |
| Jongno and Gwanghwamun | Walking distance | Bell ringing and lantern festival on your doorstep | Possible road closures on the night of 31 Dec |
| Seoul Station | 1–2 subway stops | AREX direct to Incheon Airport, KTX to Busan | Quieter in the evening |
Christmas and New Year in Seoul plus Busan: a 12-night itinerary
This example lands at Incheon on 24 December and heads to Busan on 2 January. Christmas and New Year stay in Seoul, you avoid travelling on 31 December–1 January, and you move south on 2 January.
| Date | You | Your luggage |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Dec | Land at Incheon, evening at the lantern festival on Cheonggyecheon | Handed over at the airport, delivered to your Seoul hotel the same day |
| 25–30 Dec | Gwanghwamun Market, skating on Seoul Plaza, DDP light show, shopping | Stays at your Seoul hotel |
| 31 Dec | Bosingak for New Year's Eve | Stays at your Seoul hotel |
| 2 Jan | Check out, KTX to Busan, evening lights in Nampo-dong | Sent from your Seoul hotel to your Busan hotel |
| 3–4 Jan | Jagalchi Market, Haeundae | Stays at your Busan hotel |
| 5 Jan | Check out, half a day hands-free, then Gimhae Airport | Sent from your Busan hotel to Gimhae Airport |
For winter in Busan — Jagalchi Market, Gijang snow crab and the Gwangbok-ro lights — see Busan in Winter: Jagalchi, Gijang Snow Crab, the Christmas Tree Festival and Getting There from Seoul with Luggage.
Entry rules and holiday crowds around New Year
The temporary K-ETA exemption ends on 31 December 2026 (Korea time), as stated in the official notice of 23 December 2025 extending it by a year. If you enter Korea on or after 1 January 2027, check the official K-ETA site before you travel to see whether you need to apply (checked 13 October 2026; the official site is authoritative). The days around 25 December and 1 January are three-day weekends in Korea, so book KTX tickets early. LuggAgent operates as normal on holidays such as 31 December and 1 January; bookable dates and time slots are shown on the booking page.
Seoul to Busan by KTX: the limits with big luggage
The KTX from Seoul Station to Busan takes about 2 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours. KORAIL allows each passenger two items that don't take up a seat or block the aisle, and space for large suitcases is first come, first served; trains over the New Year weekend are full and the luggage space often runs out. For KTX luggage rules and where bags go on board, see Seoul to Busan with Luggage: KTX Rules, Where Big Suitcases Go, and Same-Day Hotel Delivery.
What to do with your luggage over Christmas and New Year in Seoul and Busan
Year-end trips to Seoul usually mean more luggage than normal: winter coats and boots take up room, and there's shopping to bring home. Dragging suitcases onto the AREX and the subway, through New Year's Eve crowds or onto a packed holiday KTX is the most tiring part of the trip.
With LuggAgent you hand your bags over at Incheon Airport when you land, and when you change cities they go straight from one hotel to the next. Bags are photographed at pickup and delivery and reach the hotel front desk by 21:00 the same day, or by 18:00 with priority delivery. On the Seoul–Busan route, allow at least 9 hours from pickup to delivery. See coverage and prices on the Seoul luggage delivery page and the Seoul to Busan luggage delivery page.
Landing on Christmas Eve? Go straight to the lights and let your bags go to your Seoul hotel:
Heading to Busan after New Year, choose a 09:00–11:00 pickup time when you book, leave your bags at your Seoul hotel's front desk before then and send a photo to customer service, then take the KTX hands-free:
When you fly home from Gimhae, we recommend choosing a delivery time at least 2 hours before your flight departs; delivery between 15:00 and 21:00 has no time surcharge.
Meeting LuggAgent at Incheon and Gimhae airports
There is no LuggAgent counter at the airport. Go to the meeting point shown in your booking confirmation email, where our staff will be holding a LuggAgent sign; if you can't find them, message customer service on LINE or WhatsApp.
| Airport | Meeting point (published on our site; exact point in your confirmation) |
|---|---|
| Incheon Terminal 1 | 1F arrivals hall, by the pillar in front of Gate 10 |
| Incheon Terminal 2 | 1F arrivals hall, by the pillars in front of Gate 4 |
| Gimhae international | 1F, out of Exit 1 and turn left, right in front of the vehicle pick-up area |
- Choosing an arrival time: We recommend choosing a handover time at least 1 hour after your flight lands, so you have enough time for immigration and baggage claim. Airport handovers run 09:00–18:00.
- Running late: You get 30 minutes of free waiting from the booked time; after that a waiting fee applies.
- Flight delayed by up to 1 hour: The handover time is adjusted automatically to your actual arrival.
Full details: Incheon Airport meeting point and Gimhae Airport meeting point.
How to use LuggAgent (3 steps)
- Choose your route and fill in the details: pick the airport or hotels, date and number of bags. Most services need to be booked at least 24–72 hours in advance; the exact cutoff is shown on the booking page, and over the year-end holidays it's worth booking early. For deliveries to an Airbnb or guesthouse you don't need to be there, but you must send the full address and entry information by 13:00 local time on the service day. Size and content limits are on the luggage rules page.
- Hand over your bags on the day: at the airport, meet our staff at the point in your confirmation; at a hotel, leave your bags at the front desk before your chosen pickup time (09:00–11:00) and send a photo to customer service. Bags are photographed at pickup.
- Head out hands-free: go to the markets and the lights, then collect your bags at the hotel front desk in the evening. First time? See How to Use Same-Day Luggage Delivery: Step by Step.
FAQ
When is Seoul Winter Festa 2026?
The 2026 dates haven't been announced. In 2025 it ran from 12 December to 4 January 2026, with the Seoul Lantern Festival extended to 18 January and the Seoul Plaza ice rink open until 8 February. The 2026 edition is expected around the same time; check the City of Seoul's announcement.
Does Seoul have a Christmas market?
Yes. In 2025 the Seoul Winter Festa's Gwanghwamun Market ran from 12 to 31 December on Gwanghwamun Square, with European-style Christmas stalls and a carousel. Check the City of Seoul's announcement for the 2026 dates and location.
Where is the best place to count down to New Year in Seoul?
The best known is the bell ringing at Bosingak in Jongno at midnight on 31 December, which in 2025 also had a media show on the pavilion roof. Crowds are huge and nearby roads may close, so staying in Jongno, Gwanghwamun or Myeongdong lets you walk back to your hotel.
Do I need a K-ETA to enter Korea after New Year?
The temporary K-ETA exemption runs until 31 December 2026 (Korea time), so travellers from eligible countries and territories such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan who enter before then don't need to apply. Whether a K-ETA is needed for entry from 1 January 2027 is not yet confirmed — check the official K-ETA site before you go.
Can my luggage go from my Seoul hotel straight to my Busan hotel?
Yes. LuggAgent offers same-day hotel-to-hotel delivery from Seoul to Busan, with at least 9 hours from pickup to delivery; bags reach your Busan hotel's front desk by 21:00, or by 18:00 with priority delivery. Choose a 09:00–11:00 pickup time when you book and leave your bags at the Seoul hotel's front desk before then.
Cover photo: Christian Bolz / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
This article offers general travel tips for reference only. For actual services and conditions, please rely on the booking page and the latest official announcements.
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