Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz · 14

The ceremony

Seoul’s Fun Seoul festival portal lists the bell-ringing at Bosingak from Thursday, December 31, 2026, into Friday, January 1, 2027. The program consists of pre-ceremony performances, the bell ringing and artwork.

The ceremony is a long-standing Seoul tradition. A caption in the city’s photo archive records that on the last night of 1981 the mayor struck the bell at Bosingak 33 times. This year’s bell ringers and performance times have not been released.

Getting there

Bosingak is at 54 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu. Visit Seoul puts it 63 m from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station on Line 1.

Large crowds gather every year on this night and nearby roads close, so station exits and train times may change. The city announces road closures, extended late-night service and safety guidance shortly before the event. Groups should agree on a meeting point in advance.

Photo credits

The lead photo is a daytime view of Bosingak from the Seoul Tourism Archive, taken around 2021, and does not show this year’s event. The second photo, from the Seoul city archive, shows the bell-ringing at Bosingak on December 31, 1978. Both are used under KOGL Type 1 with attribution.

The event

Seoul Light Gwanghwamun is a media-art exhibition of light and music on Gwanghwamun Square. According to the city’s Fun Seoul festival portal, this year’s edition runs from Friday, December 11, 2026, to Sunday, January 3, 2027, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. KST.

The program includes a media facade exhibition on Gwanghwamun, citizen participation programs and a New Year countdown. Participating artists, the show timetable and countdown details have not been announced.

Getting there

Gwanghwamun Square is a public square open 24 hours with free entry. Visit Seoul puts it about 235 m from Exit 2 of Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5. The facade shows run after dark, so the square fits an evening stop after a daytime visit to Gyeongbokgung or Cheonggyecheon.

Large crowds are expected on the night of the December 31 countdown. The city will announce road closures and routes home shortly before the event.

Photo credit

The photo shows Gwanghwamun gate at dusk in November 2012, taken by the Korea Heritage Service. It is not Seoul Light’s media facade. The festival listing does not state an admission fee for the event.

Shrine and school

Jeonju Hyanggyo combined Confucian education with ritual. Daeseongjeon honours Confucius and other sages; Myeongnyundang, behind it, was the lecture hall where students studied.

Ilwolmun Gate

Ilwolmun has a central gate flanked by side openings. The operator says visitors do not use the central passage.

Closed gates and restricted areas are off-limits; visitors follow the route left open on site.

Shrine and lecture hall

Daeseongjeon is fronted by stone steps and painted woodwork, Myeongnyundang by long eaves and a courtyard. Side by side, they show the difference between a ritual space and a teaching space.

Interiors are not always open, so most visits are from outside.

Ginkgo trees

The Korea Tourism Organization highlights the school’s old ginkgo trees as an autumn attraction. The 2026 peak-foliage date and the current leaf colour have not been verified.

Opening hours

The operator lists 09:00–18:00 for March–October and 10:00–17:00 for November–February, KST. It is closed Mondays, or the following day when Monday is a public holiday. Admission is free.

On-site instructions apply during events and ceremonies. Same-day changes: +82-63-288-4548.

On to Omokdae

The editors suggest 30–45 minutes at the school. Omokdae, at 55 Girin-daero, looks out over the village roofs; the approach includes slopes and steps.

Getting there

The address is 139 Hyanggyo-gil, Wansan-gu, Jeonju. From Jeonju Station, travel to Hanok Village and walk to the entrance. The city’s transport guide names the Jeondong Cathedral (Hanok Village) bus stop.

Taxi drivers can be shown “전주향교, 향교길 139로 가 주세요.” Weekend and public-holiday vehicle restrictions in Hanok Village may keep cars from reaching the gate.

The exhibitions

The 3rd Seoul Sculpture Festival, part of the city’s “Sculpture City Seoul” project, opened on August 29 at Open Songhyeon Green Plaza and Ttukseom Hangang Park. The opening ceremony, busking and outdoor cinema ended on September 4, while the outdoor exhibitions remain open at all hours through Monday, November 30.

There are three shows: works by the 2026 Seoul Sculpture Award selected artists (“City of Art, on a Gentle Breeze”), the art director’s invited exhibition (“Flow and Memory, Narratives of Being”) and the new Sculpture Village (“A Village Where the Wind Dwells”). The city’s festival portal lists admission as free.

Getting there

Open Songhyeon Green Plaza sits between Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon at 48-9 Songhyeon-dong, Jongno-gu. Visit Seoul puts it about 499 m from Exit 1 of Anguk Station on Line 3, close to Bukchon, Samcheong-dong and the palace.

The Ttukseom works line a riverside walk. Because the exhibitions are outdoors, rain or strong wind can make viewing difficult. Inquiries: 02-550-2561.

Photo credit

The photo, taken on October 4, 2026, shows the “열린송현” (Open Songhyeon) letter sculpture in the plaza’s garden. It is not a festival artwork; images of the works are on the official Sculpture City Seoul website.

The event

The official SeoulCon website lists the 2026 main event at DDP from December 29, 2026, to January 1, 2027, organized by the SBA. Zanmang Loopy has been announced as one of this year’s ambassadors; the others have not been revealed.

The 2026 program and how to attend have not been published, and the website says the influencer lineup, schedule and programs may change.

Last year’s festival

According to 2025 details on Seoul’s festival portal, last year’s SeoulCon drew about 3,600 global influencers and visitors from 50 countries. It featured K-pop performances with a New Year countdown, content awards, a networking party, influencer talk shows and fan meetings, a K-fashion and beauty expo, an e-sports zone and live commerce.

This year’s format, participating creators and any registration requirements for shows or the countdown will be posted on the website and on Instagram (@seoulcon_official).

Getting there and contacts

DDP is at 281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. Visit Seoul puts it 37 m from Exit 1 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on Lines 2, 4 and 5.

The photo is a night view of DDP’s facade taken before 2024 and does not show SeoulCon. Contact: SeoulCon secretariat, 070-5237-1009, seoulcon@sba.kr.

A 4.5cm porcelain piece

Made of white porcelain in the Joseon period, the dropper is 4.5cm high and 3.5cm in diameter. Its collection number is Sujeong 356. The desk accessory, smaller than a palm, carries an animal’s expression.

Two openings control the flow

A water dropper does more than store water. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture explains that two openings regulate the air flow so the user can release as much water as needed, whether for grinding ink or mixing paint.

Red spots

Small reddish spots dot the white body. The Korean term donghwa refers here to decoration in copper-red pigment.

Viewed from above, the folded hind legs stand out; from the front, the mouth and eyes read as a face.

Many shapes

Joseon water droppers came in round and angular forms as well as shapes modelled on animals, plants and houses. In the group photograph, droppers with different outlines surround the white frog. Each was both a practical tool and a small sculpture on the writing desk.

The Library Cave

Dunhuang, an oasis city in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, China, was a gateway on the Silk Road. Cave 17 of its Mogao cave temples, known as the Library Cave, held tens of thousands of objects sealed for nearly a thousand years. Its chance discovery in 1900 gave rise to the field of Dunhuang studies.

In 2025 the National Museum of Korea published a report on four Dunhuang Buddhist sutra scrolls bought by the Yi Royal Household Museum during the Japanese colonial period. The display, “Unsealing a Thousand Years: Dunhuang Buddhist Sutras,” presents that research.

What is on view

The display runs from October 23, 2026, to January 24, 2027, in the Central Asia gallery of the World Culture galleries on the third floor of the permanent exhibition hall. It comprises three entries, eight pieces in all, including the Dazhidu lun, the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sutra, the Śūraṅgama Sutra, the Sutra of Buddha Names and “Meditating Monk.” The museum’s four Dunhuang sutras are shown publicly for the first time.

The small display presents Buddhist scriptures that traveled the Silk Road. Other World Culture galleries are on the same floor.

Hours and directions

Admission to the permanent galleries is free. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last entry 8:30 p.m.) on Wednesday and Saturday. The permanent galleries close on Monday, December 7, for a regular closure day, and the museum is closed January 1, 2027.

From Ichon Station (Line 4 and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line), the “Museum Nadeulgil” underpass toward Exit 2 leads to the museum’s west gate. The photo shows the Mogao Caves in China in 2013, not the objects on display.

The exhibition

The National Museum of Korea is co-organizing “The Birth of Modern Art – Masterpieces from the Kunsthaus Zürich” with Kunsthaus Zürich and the Seoul Shinmun. It runs 143 days, from Friday, November 27, 2026, to Sunday, April 18, 2027, in Special Exhibition Gallery 1.

The 85 paintings and sculptures trace European art from the 18th to the 20th century. The museum said the show includes Monet, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Brancusi, Kandinsky, Magritte and Dalí, along with Swiss-born artists such as Hodler, Klee, Taeuber-Arp and Giacometti. A list of works has not been released.

Early-bird tickets

Early-bird tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. KST on October 13 through Ticketlink and Naver Booking as a single 12,000-won ticket type. They cover visits from opening day through Thursday, December 17. The museum’s notice gives the end year as 2025, apparently a typo for 2026. Wednesday sessions after 6 p.m. and December 7 are excluded.

Up to four tickets can be booked per order, and bookings can be canceled until 11:59 p.m. the day before the visit. Mobile tickets will be sent by KakaoTalk on November 25. Regular prices have not been announced; the museum said children and seniors may pay less with individually discounted regular tickets.

Hours and opening talk

Entry is by 30-minute timed sessions. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last entry 4:50 p.m.) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (last entry 8:20 p.m.) on Wednesday and Saturday. The exhibition is closed December 7, 2026, and January 1, February 7 (Seollal) and March 1, 2027.

On opening day, November 27, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Maja Wismer of Kunsthaus Zürich will speak on Swiss art and European modernism in the museum’s lecture room. No booking is required; seating is first come, first served.

Getting there

The museum is at 137 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu. From Ichon Station (Line 4 and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line), the “Museum Nadeulgil” underpass toward Exit 2 leads to the museum’s west gate and is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The permanent galleries are free, but this special exhibition requires a ticket. The lead photo shows the museum building in 2019, not the exhibition or its works. The second photo shows Kunsthaus Zürich’s new building, the lending museum, near completion in 2019.

Consent in the app

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the promotion on October 14. Privacy consent opens in the Digital Onnuri app at 9 a.m. KST on October 15. Consent given by November 15 covers qualifying payments across the whole event period, regardless of the date of agreement.

Ordinary card payments and paper Onnuri vouchers are not automatically included.

Payment location counts

Entries accrue for every KRW 30,000: one in the capital region and two outside it, up to 30 per person. A Seoul resident who pays with Digital Onnuri at a participating merchant outside the capital region earns entries at that region’s rate.

Participation is set shop by shop, not by market.

Prizes

The draw awards KRW 1.7 billion in Digital Onnuri vouchers to 5,600 winners. Ten first-prize winners receive KRW 30 million each, drawn only from participants holding entries earned outside the capital region.

Second through fourth prizes are open to participants nationwide, with no multiple wins. It is a draw, not a guaranteed refund.

Results in December

Winners will be notified individually through the app in early December, with vouchers paid during December. The announcement describes a nationwide event but does not set out account, identity-verification or participation conditions for foreign nationals.

The exhibition

The exhibition, organized jointly by the National Museum of Korea and the V&A, runs from December 18, 2026, to March 31, 2027, in Special Exhibition Gallery 2.

It begins with how the 18th-century queen presented herself through fashion, interiors and taste, shaping the aesthetics of her time. It then traces how her contrasting images — symbol of luxury and pleasure, object of admiration, victim of the Revolution, fashion icon — have been repeated and reinvented in art, fashion and popular culture.

What is on show

According to the museum, the show includes about 190 items: objects associated with Marie Antoinette and later fashion, decorative arts, crafts and installations influenced by her. The list of works, ticket prices and booking date have not been announced.

The second photo shows the Hameau de la Reine (the Queen’s Hamlet) at Versailles in 2022. It is not an object in the exhibition.

Visitor information

The museum’s general hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday. Hours specific to this exhibition have not been announced. The museum said tickets for Special Exhibition Gallery 2 can also be bought at the gallery entrance.

From Ichon Station (Line 4 and the Gyeongui–Jungang Line), the “Museum Nadeulgil” underpass toward Exit 2 leads to the west gate. “The Birth of Modern Art” (Nov 27–Apr 18) runs in Special Exhibition Gallery 1 during the same period. The lead photo shows the museum building in 2019.

A restored government seat

Jeju-mok was Jeju’s administrative centre during the Joseon period. The buildings were reconstructed from excavated remains, historical documents and specialist research, with restoration completed in December 2002. The site is a recovered layout rather than a set of untouched old buildings.

Uryeondang and Manggyeongru

Past the tiled roof of the outer gate, each courtyard holds a different building. At Uryeondang, the pond and the hall sit in a single frame.

Manggyeongru is best seen head-on from its courtyard. Access to the upper floor or interiors is not guaranteed.

Hours and admission

Daytime hours are 09:00–18:00 daily, with ticket sales ending at 17:30. Admission is ₩1,500 for adults, ₩800 for teenagers and ₩400 for children.

Through October 31, 2026, the site opens free on Wednesday–Sunday evenings, 18:00–21:00. Monday and Tuesday have no evening opening but daytime visits continue. All times are KST.

Late-October performances

Gyullim Byeolgok busking is scheduled in Gwandeokjeong Square on October 30, 19:00–19:30. On October 31, the square hosts a guard-changing ceremony at 17:30–18:30, followed by the special performance Gyullim Pungak at 19:00–20:00 in the courtyard before Manggyeongru.

The performances are not daily and may change in rain. Updates are posted in the official notice or available at +82-64-710-6717.

Gwandeokjeong

The editors suggest 45–60 minutes. Adjacent Gwandeokjeong was built in 1448 for training soldiers; its broad roof and open square contrast with the compound’s courtyards. Its address is 19 Gwandeok-ro.

Address and parking

The government office is at 25 Gwandeok-ro, Jeju-si. The tourism organization’s listing says its own car park is restricted because of archaeological work, and the 2026 evening notice recommends the public car park west of Gwandeokjeong or public transport.

A contest winner

The product is based on the recipe of the same name that won Nongshim’s 2025 Jjapagetti cooking contest. In its October 13 announcement, the company said the packet lets people enjoy the combination without preparing the ingredients separately.

Shrimp-flavoured balls and fried garlic

Nongshim names roasted garlic, olive oil, peperoncino and shrimp flavour as the main elements. The thick Jjapagetti noodles come with shrimp-flavoured balls, plus separate sachets of olive-flavoured flakes and fried garlic. The description does not mention whole shrimp.

Emart first

The planned launch date is October 27, 2026. Nongshim plans to sell the noodles at Emart first and expand to other channels later. The Korean product name ‘감바스짜파게티’ distinguishes it from regular Jjapagetti on shelves.

From home kitchen to shelf

A pairing that consumers once made by adding ingredients at home is now sold in a single packet. Flavour descriptions come from the manufacturer.