Things to Do in Korea in August, 2025

UPDATE: Mundo Pixar has been extended until September and we added the DDP’s summer festival, Design Holiday, in to the event mix.

August is THE hottest month of the year here in Korea. And while monsoon season was mercifully short, that doesn’t mean there won’t still be the occasional downpour. And although we find August to be one of the most unpleasant times to visit Korea (due to the extreme weather), we do get a huge influx of tourists which means there’s still a LOT to do in the city. So, without further ado, here are our tips for August in Korea.

The Weather

August in Korea is hot, humid, and often rainy. And if last year is any indicator, the summer heat will most likely bleed over into the first half of September as well. It’ll be burning hot like a oven during the day and sweaty and humid at night (tropical nights). You’ll probably spend most of the time avoiding the heat, but you also want to avoid sunburns. Reapplying sunscreen throughout the day is an absolute necessity.

One thing to look out for are the “sonagi” or sudden summer rainstorms. The weather can go from sunny to rainstorm in minutes before the clouds move on, leaving behind an unbearable humidity. You’ll want to keep an umbrella handy and maybe a pair of flip-flops as well.

Potential for Heavy Rains

Meterologists have said that Korea will be having a light monsoon season this year, but we’ve still had more than a few heavy rainstorms hit the city. You’ll want to keep an eye on your phones because the city pushes out alerts in each region if there’s any danger of flooding, landslides or other natural disasters.

Be sure to avoid low-lying underpasses, riverside parks, or stream paths like Cheonggyecheon during heavy rain. While umbrellas are a necessity if you’re traveling through Korea this summer, keep in mind that strong winds routinely break and shred umbrellas, so it’s best to avoid walking around for long periods of time.

What to Wear

Lightweight, breathable clothing is a must! Think loose cotton or linen tops/ bottoms, flowy dresses, and shorts or skirts. Since the sun can be intense, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are smart additions, along with a small umbrella for sudden showers or shade. Air conditioning can be super frigid indoors or on public transportation, so bringing a thin cardigan or long sleeved shirt to throw over your shoulders is always a good idea. Also, shoes like sandals or water-resistant sneakers will keep you comfortable on both sunny and rainy days.

EVENTS

DDP Summer Festival: Design Holiday

• When: July 31 – August 16, 2025
• Where: Dongdaemun Design Plaza (Naver Map, Google Maps)

The Dongdaemun Design Plaza is hosting a wonderfully imaginative summer festival indoors with Design Holiday. This event takes a previously unused space inside the DDP and adds games, puzzles, key chain crafting, and more. There are also a lot of seats set up so visitors enjoy the AC and chill out indoors.

Hanbok Expo

• When: August 7 – 10, 2025
• Where: COEX Hall D (Naver Map, Google Maps)

One of our favorite events of the season, the yearly Hanbok Expo at COEX will be held for 4 days in the first weekend of August. The convention brings together so many hanbok designers from all over the country showcasing a variety of daily hanboks, traditional hanboks, and hanbok-inspired designs and accessories.

There are always holdovers for the summer season, but a lot of designers bring their fall season designs for visitors to check out and try on. Pre-registration closes on August 6th, so be sure to register on their website soon.

Hangang River Summer Festival

• When: Until August 24, 2025
• Where:
  • Banpo Hangang Park (Naver Map, Google Maps)
  • Gangseo Hangang Park (Naver Map, Google Maps)
  • Gwangnaru Hangang Park (Naver Map, Google Maps)
  • Nanji Hangang Park (Naver Map, Google Maps)
  • Yeouido Hangang Park (Naver Map, Google Maps)

The summer season’s Hangang River Festival kicks off on the first of August with concerts along the Han River parks and sporting activities like kayaking. This is THE main summer festival in August, so make sure to check it out. There’s a lot to do all along the Han, but the activities vary by region so check out their homepage to see the schedule.

Mundo Pixar: Pixar, Into the World of Imagination

• When: Until Septmeber 28, 2025
• Where: 71, Gosanja-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (Naver Map, Google Maps)
• Price: Starts at 25,900 KRW

One of the biggest and best Pixar exhibits to ever visit Korea is still available until the end of the month. This exhibit takes you through the worlds of Pixar and lets you visit characters from the films. That includes Andy’s room from “Toy Story” or Carl and Ellie’s house from “Up”.

Tickets can be reserved ahead of time or you can grab tickets at the door.

Seoul Light DDP

• When: July 31 – August 10, 2025 (8 PM – 10 PM)
• Where: Dongdaemun Design Plaza (Google Maps, Naver Map)

Seoul Light will be adding a summer session to their yearly schedule with a new set of light shows. There are 5 different shows scheduled for the summer season every day from 8 PM to 10 PM. Check out the event page for more details.

Seoul International Garden Show

• When: Until October 20th
• Where: Boramae Park (Naver Map, Google Maps)

The Seoul International Garden show is fully underway at Boramae Park with 111 show gardens that have transformed Boramae Park into a massive urban garden. The show is also dotted with cafes, shops, and food trucks along with seating areas to enjoy the ambience.

We visited back in June when the Ditto Garden was fully underway. Unfortunately, that’s gone now, but we’ll always have the memories.

Harry Potter Mahou Dokoro Pop-Up Store

• When: Until August 24, 2025
• Where: Yongsan I’Park Mall, 3F (Naver Map, Google Maps)

Mahou Dokoro is Japan’s official Harry Potter merchandise manufacturer and they have a limited time pop-up here in Seoul that’ll be closing near the end of the month. This represents one of the few times that Mahou Dokoro products will be available outside of Japan so if you’re in the country and you’re a Potter-head, you should make the trip and check out all the amazing merch.

Seoul International Women’s Film Festival

• When: August 24 – 30, 2025
• Where: CGV Yeonnam (Naver Map, Google Maps), CGV Hongdae (Naver Map, Google Maps)

The SIWFF is the largest International women’s film festival in the world. It supports gender equality in the film industry and the discovery of female filmmakers. The festival schedule is available online and tickets can be purchased online on their website.

Sejong Summer Festival

• When: August 28 – September 1, 2025
• Where: Gwanghwamun Square (Naver Map, Google Maps)

The last weekend of August will have a bevy of live performances in Gwanghwamun Square with Sage min Swingtet, Aster&Neo, Juncoco, and 1MILLION all set to perform. All the performances will be outside in the open air, so be sure to stop by and check out the festivities. Check out the Sejong PAC page for more details.

K-Food Festival Knock Knock

• When: June 20 ~ December 31, 2025 (Friday to Sunday, 4 PM to 9 PM)
• Where: Sejong-ro Garden (Naver Map, Google Maps)

The K-Food Festival is back by popular demand! Thanks to its massive popularity with locals and tourists, the Seoul City Government will be hosting the K-food festival in the Sejong-ro Park until the end of the year. There are food trucks serving everything from Korean pancakes to Korean hotdogs from 4 PM to 9 PM every weekend (weather willing). Check out our review for even more information and photos of the ongoing festival.

Cheonggye Soul Ocean

• When: Until December 31, 2025 (6 PM ~ 10 PM)
• Where: Gwanggyo Bridge (Google Map, Naver Map)

The Cheonggyecheon Stream is literally the coolest place to escape the hustle and bustle of Seoul life and it’s right in the city’s center. By night, the entire stream comes to life with beautifully colorful lights, buskers, and locals cooling their feet in the clear waters.

Enter the Cheonggye Soul Ocean, a 40 meter light-projection show that uses six projectors to display gorgeous visuals uner Gwanggyo Bridge every night until 10 PM. For more information, check out our post.

2025 Seoul Outdoor Library

• When: Until October 10, 2025
• Where:
  • Gwanghwamun Plaza (Google Maps, Naver Map)
  • Cheonggyecheon Stream (Google Maps, Naver Map)
  • Seoul Plaza (Google Maps, Naver Map)

In an effort to help people disconnect and leave their phone screens behind, Seoul will once again be hosting public outdoor library spaces throughout the city. Compared to last year, they’ve really upped the ante with more events, performances, and pop-ups to explore.

There will still be bean bag chairs in Gwanghwamun Plaza as well as Seoul Plaza along with seats along the Cheonggyecheon, so feel free to bring a book or borrow one from the event and take in some fresh air and dive into a good read.

Check out their page for more info.

As an added bonus, the Seoul Outdoor Library will be open at night this year until 9 PM throughout the months of June and September.

Unfortunately, the schedule of the outdoor library is a bit inconsistent so we highly recommend you check the dates of the event online before going.

Moonlight Yoga

• When: Until August 7, 2025 (7:30 PM – 8:30 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays)
• Where: Gwanghwamun Square (Google Maps, Naver Map)

Moonlight Yoga is back! We’ve been big fans of the event since it started two years ago and we’re not the only ones. Thanks to its growing popularity, it’s back for a third year and if it’s anything like previous events… you’ll need to make a reservation to ensure you get a spot.

If you don’t know, Moonlight Yoga is an open-air yoga session held in the heart of Gwanghwamun Square. You get to experience a guided yoga session as the sun sets in downtown Seoul. And, best of all, it’s all free.

Reservations can be made here for the English sessions.