Korea in December 2026: Weather, Christmas & Lights · Kravel
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Korea in December 2026: Weather, Christmas & Lights
Seoul in December: about −3 to 4°C (26–40°F), Christmas holiday Fri Dec 25, Winter Festival lights from Dec 11, ski resorts opening, Bosingak bell Dec 31.
December 2026 in South Korea at a glance:Christmas Day, Fri Dec 25, is the month's only public holiday (a three-day weekend). Seoul averages roughly −3 to 4 °C (26–40 °F). Seoul Winter Festival (called Seoul Winter Festa in past years) runs Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027, with Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, the Gwanghwamun Market and the Seoul Lantern Festival all opening Fri Dec 11, most big Gangwon ski resorts usually open by early December, and the Bosingak bell-ringing marks midnight on Thu Dec 31.
December 2026 dates at a glance
What
When (KST)
What it means for your trip
Christmas Day (public holiday)
Fri Dec 25
Long weekend Dec 25–27: busy malls, restaurants, markets and ski resorts. Banks and government offices close
Seoul Winter Festival (umbrella festival)
Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027
Light shows, markets and the skating rink across central Seoul
Seoul Light Gwanghwamun
Dec 11 to at least Sun Jan 3, about 6–10 pm
Free media-façade show on Gwanghwamun Square. Listings differ on hours and end date (Jan 3 or Jan 10)
Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027, 5:30–10 pm (to 10:30 pm Fri–Sat)
Christmas market village on Gwanghwamun Square
Seoul Lantern Festival
Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027, 6–11 pm
Cheonggyecheon Stream, free in 2025
SBS Gayo Daejeon (K-pop year-end show)
Thu–Fri Dec 24–25
KINTEX, Goyang. Seat release not announced yet; it's also broadcast
Myeongdong department-store lights
Usually from early–mid November into January (2025 pattern)
Free to watch at night. 2026 dates not announced yet
Ski season
Usually late November to early December (2025 precedent)
Opening days depend on cold and snowmaking
New Year's Eve bell-ringing at Bosingak
Thu Dec 31, around midnight
Huge crowds in Jongno. Expect road closures and late trains (2026 plan TBA)
Next public holiday
Fri Jan 1, 2027 (New Year's Day)
—
Holidays checked against Visit Korea — Public Holidays and KASI's 2026 calendar data on 15 Oct 2026 (KST); festival dates rechecked on 1 Nov 2026 (KST). Festival dates can still change, so use the official links in Sources before you book anything non-refundable.
Weather and what to wear
December is real winter. Seoul's days hover just above freezing, nights drop below it, and the wind off the river makes it feel colder. It's dry, so snow is light and unpredictable. Don't plan a trip around a white Christmas.
City (1991–2020 normals)
Avg high
Avg low
Precipitation
Wet days
Seoul
4.2 °C (40 °F)
−3.4 °C (26 °F)
23 mm
~8
Busan
10.4 °C (51 °F)
2.0 °C (36 °F)
34 mm
~5
Gangneung (Gangwon east coast)
7.7 °C (46 °F)
−0.5 °C (31 °F)
37 mm
~5
*These are climate averages, not a forecast* (WMO World Weather Information Service, using Korea Meteorological Administration data). Check the KMA forecast the week you travel. Mountain ski areas such as Pyeongchang are much colder than Gangneung on the coast.
Pack: a proper insulated coat, a hat, gloves and a scarf, plus heat packs (*hotpack*, sold at every convenience store). Indoors is heated hard, so wear layers you can peel off. Lip balm and hand cream help in the dry air.
Christmas in Korea
Christmas in Korea is more of a couples-and-friends night out than a family holiday. Expect packed restaurants on Dec 24–25, set "Christmas course" menus and long lines for cakes. Book dinner ahead if Christmas Eve matters to you. Since Dec 25 is a Friday this year, the long weekend will be busy everywhere: shopping districts, markets and ski resorts.
Most shops, cafés, palaces and attractions stay open on Christmas Day. Banks and government offices close. Churches hold services, and some offer English ones.
Myeongdong and the department-store lights
The best free Christmas show in Seoul is the giant LED façade on Shinsegae's main store (Myeongdong / Hoehyeon). In 2025 it ran from Nov 7 to Jan 31, every evening until midnight. Lotte's main store across the street also puts up a lit façade. The 2026 dates haven't been announced, but going by past years both will be on throughout December.
Best view: the plaza in front of the Shinsegae main store. Hoehyeon Underground Shopping Center exits are a popular spot.
Timing: it's crowded from about 7 pm and very crowded on weekends and Dec 24–25. Go on a weekday evening if you can.
Markets: in 2025 Lotte ran the Lotte Town Christmas Market at Lotte World Tower's World Park in Jamsil (Nov 20, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026), and Shinsegae ran an indoor Shinsegae Wonderland market. Treat these as likely but unconfirmed for 2026.
Seoul Winter Festival: Gwanghwamun, markets and skating
Seoul Winter Festival is the city's umbrella winter festival. The 2026 edition runs Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027, centred on Gwanghwamun Square plus six other sites. Here's what's on, per the official Seoul listings:
Seoul Light Gwanghwamun: a media-façade and light-art show from Fri Dec 11, with a New Year countdown. Official listings disagree on the end date (Jan 3 or Jan 10, 2027) and hours (5:30–10 pm or 6–11 pm), so count on Dec 11 to at least Sun Jan 3, about 6–10 pm, and check the festival site before you go.
Gwanghwamun Market: a Christmas market village with seasonal stalls, food, a big tree and photo spots on Gwanghwamun Square and Sejongno Park, Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027, 5:30–10 pm (to 10:30 pm Fri–Sat).
Seoul Light DDP: Christmas decorations at Dongdaemun Design Plaza from Dec 11, the main media-façade show Dec 17–31 (about 6–10 pm, planned), then a smaller light show through Jan 31, 2027.
Seoul Plaza Ice Rink: in front of City Hall, Dec 18, 2026 – Feb 9, 2027, 10 am–9:30 pm Sun–Thu and 10 am–12:30 am Fri–Sat (until 1 am on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve). Entry is listed at ₩1,000 including skate rental; you can book online or buy on site.
SEOULCon: a K-culture festival at DDP, Dec 29, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027, with K-beauty, a K-pop festival and creator events (program details TBA).
The Seoul Lantern Festival and the Bosingak bell-ringing (both below).
Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon and City Hall are all within walking distance. Doing all three in one cold evening is easy. Start at Gwanghwamun, walk down Cheonggyecheon, then warm up in Myeongdong.
Seoul Lantern Festival
The festival fills Cheonggyecheon Stream (Cheonggye Plaza to Samilgyo Bridge) with traditional hanji lanterns and light art. The organizer, the Seoul Tourism Organization, lists the 2026 edition for Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027, 6–11 pm. Entry was free in 2025. It's the 18th edition, themed "Seoul's Romance: A Symphony of Light."
Weekend evenings and Christmas week get very crowded along the narrow stream paths. Go on a weekday, right at opening, or after 9 pm. It's a short walk from Gwanghwamun Square, so you can pair it with the market and the light show.
Year-end K-pop shows
Korea's TV networks hold big year-end music shows in December. SBS Gayo Daejeon is confirmed for Thu–Fri Dec 24–25 at KINTEX in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul. How audience seats will be released hasn't been announced yet, so watch SBS's official notices. Otherwise, plan to watch it on TV or online.
Ski season openings
Korea's ski resorts start making snow as soon as nights turn cold, so opening days move from year to year. Here's the 2025 precedent, not a 2026 schedule:
Mona Yongpyong and Phoenix Snow Park (Pyeongchang) opened Nov 21, 2025.
High1 (Jeongseon) opened Nov 28, 2025.
Vivaldi Park (Hongcheon) was listed as opening Dec 4, 2025.
Expect only a few slopes at first, with more opening through December. 2026 opening dates have not been announced. Check each resort's official notices in November. The Christmas weekend and New Year's are peak days, so book lift-and-rental packages and shuttle seats early.
New Year's Eve: the Bosingak bell-ringing
At midnight on Dec 31, Seoul rings the Bosingak bell in Jongno 33 times to welcome the new year, with a countdown and performances. It's free and open to everyone, and it is very crowded. In 2025, news reports expected up to about 100,000 people around Bosingak.
The 2026 plan will be announced in late December. Here's what the city did in 2025, for reference only:
Roads around Bosingak were closed from 6 pm Dec 31 to 7 am Jan 1, and 47 bus routes were diverted.
Trains skipped Jonggak Station (Line 1) from 11 pm to 1 am. The city pointed people to City Hall, Jongno 3-ga, Euljiro 1-ga and Gwanghwamun stations instead.
Subway Lines 1–9, the Ui-Sinseol Line and the Sillim Line ran until about 2 am, with extra trains. Some nearby buses also ran late.
Tips: arrive early and know your exit route before midnight. Dress for standing still outdoors at sub-zero temperatures. Leave by a station other than the closest one. If you'd rather skip the crush, Seoul Light Gwanghwamun and DDP also hold countdowns, and you can watch the ceremony on TV or online. Follow staff and police directions in crowded spots. See Safety.
Short daylight: the sun rises around 7:30–7:45 am and sets around 5:15–5:25 pm in Seoul all month (KASI), so do outdoor sightseeing in daylight and save the lights for evening.
Air quality: fine dust can spike in winter. Check AirKorea.
Planning a December trip to Korea? Share your dates and base city on the Ask board — a quick reality check on Christmas crowds or ski timing beats a copied itinerary.
Tip
Planning overview only. Event dates, transport rules and venue hours change — prefer the official links in Sources.
