What to See, Eat and Do in Korea (and Beyond)
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” and Seoul is no exception. As soon as November comes around, Christmas decorations, events and festivities all start to roll out. For a little over two months, Seoul is engulfed in holiday cheer. Here’s some of our favorite ways to take in those sweet Christmas vibes.
It is officially winter in Korea which means it’s going to be cold. Snow isn’t always guaranteed, but sub-zero temperature and chilly nights are. So we’ve got tips to keep you warm and your holidays bright this December!
Seorae Village is a charming little corner of Seoul often called “Little France” because of its strong French community, French school, and European-style cafes and bakeries. And every December, for one day only, this quaint neighborhood comes to life with a beautiful Christmas market.
Right now the Seoul Regional Tourism Center is hosting a free “Local Trip Thu-Fri-Sat” program. The feel is “travel-without-leaving-Seoul” so you get a taste of countryside or coastal region culture (depending on the theme) while staying in the city.
Studio Dragon is holding a special “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” pop-up right in here in Seoul! Located in the second-floor basement (B2) of The Hyundai Seoul, this pop-up up brings the tasty world to “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” to ours. I’m not going to lie, the pop-up is small, what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in really cute official merch. They have everything from posters, stickers, and embroidered bookmarks to scrunchies, hoodies and even Ji-yeong’s bag, gabangi!
Beer first flowed into Korea during the Japanese occupation. In the early 1930s, Japanese companies established breweries here, mainly to supply beer to settlers and officials. At the time, beer was seen as an upscale, imported-style drink, pretty much reserved for the elite or special occasions. By 1933, Yeongdeungpo became home to two of Korea’s major breweries, which later evolved into OB (Oriental Brewery) and Hite Brewery.
Mullae Art Village is a unique, industrial neighborhood full of metal workers, workshops, art galleries, and artist collectives. It might sound like an eclectic mix (and it is), but it’s an amazing place to visit.
This week, a friend invited me a visit a gallery exhibition open to the public but only by reservation and with very limited entry. It literally sold out in a day, and for good reason. It was held at Sunhyewon (선혜원).
While the structure was built in the late-sixties, it was only converted into a cultural space this year and renamed Sunhyewon which translates to “bestow wisdom”. Before then it was the private resident of Chey Jong-gun (최종건), the founder of the SK Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Korea. Yes, friends, Sunhyewon was the former home of the chairman of a chaebol.
Welcome to autumn in Korea! You’ve made it through the hot, wet summer of 2025 and it’s all blue skies… at least once the temperature cools down and the humidity drops a bit lower. We might still have a bit of lingering summer heat, but September is the start of one of Korea’s most beautiful seasons.
The 2025 session of the Hanbok Expo is officially underway and there are over 150 designers and brands attending. It can definitely be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the hanbok scene. But, as someone who’s been attending for the past several years, I wanted to share some my favorites.
The Hanbok Expo is the perfect place to find your next hanbok look and this year’s event has all the KPop Demon Hunters vibes you could want.
Seoul Light DDP is back with it’s summer festivities. Every night for 11 days, the DDP will feature light shows and multimedia exhibits for anyone to enjoy. Best of all, it’s free.
