An October column in Culture+Seoul questions whether a city’s nights should be judged only by sales and visitor numbers, and proposes a quieter measure of a good evening.
NowHitz Editorial · undefined
Late-opening shops and restaurants give a city energy after dark. But a worthwhile evening need not mean more shopping, more events or a later trip home.
In an October 2026 column for the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, Seoul Institute researcher Woo Young-jin challenges the view of nighttime as mainly an extension of commercial activity. Reading, resting with family and walking near home are also part of city life at night.
Seen this way, safe walking routes, comfortable lighting and places to sit matter as much as commercial venues. This is NowHitz’s reading of the column, not evidence that any particular policy has worked.
