- The festival drew 7.4 million visitors over 38 days, from Friday, December 15, 2023 to Saturday, January 21, 2024; festival clips accumulated 370 million views in total.
- The light festival and media art show at Gwanghwamun and DDP were pivotal in the winter festival’s success, attracting 5.8 million visitors.
- The New Year’s Eve Bell Tolling & Countdown drew 0.1 million visitors, and the Midnight Sun event also garnered significant attention, along with Gwanghwamun Square Market.
□ Seoul Winta 2023 witnessed a more than two-fold increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year. The extensive winter festival, which opened late last year at seven locations across Seoul including Seoul Plaza and Bosingak Pavilion, represented a consolidated effort by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The city’s winter festivals, previously held as standalone events, were unified under a cohesive theme, aiming to evolve into a ‘global festival’ that appeals to both local and international visitors.
□ According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Winta (Seoul Winter Festa) 2023 attracted 7.4 million visitors during its 38-day run from Friday, December 15, 2023, to Sunday, January 21, 2024. The festival clips, broadcasted on TV and online, amassed a staggering 370 million views. The local government views the festival’s success as a significant initial step towards establishing it as a ‘global winter festival’ representative of Korea.
○ Seoul Winta 2023 is a grand winter festival that combines ten events held at seven locations across Seoul, including Dongdaemun Digital Plaza (DDP), Bosingak Pavilion, Sejong-daero, Gwanghwamun Square, Songhyeon Green Plaza, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and Seoul Plaza.
○ Last year, the festival showcased media art shows with a focus on ‘light’ under the slogan “Fresh New Light, Shining Across Seoul,” transforming the city’s night sky into mesmerizing spectacles of light.
□ The Seoul Metropolitan Government is set on establishing Seoul Winta as the city’s hallmark for a global winter festival. The festival received attention from both local and international visitors, and was featured in international media. Notably, CNN (United States) and CCTV (China) covered the New Year’s countdown events at Bosingak Pavilion and Gwanghwamun on the evening of Sunday, December 31, 2023, spotlighting Seoul’s unique New Year customs.
□ Beyond the countdown, the city was alive with light festivals marking the New Year, which were not only witnessed in person but also broadcast live on TV and online. This global outreach was further amplified by live broadcasts through the channels of 3,000 influencer teams who were in Korea for SEOULCon 2023, the world’s first influencer fair, spanning three days from Saturday, December 30, 2023.
○ These TV and online broadcasts successfully accumulated 370 million views, reinforcing Winter Festa’s presence as a global festival that resonates across both online and offline spheres.
□ Looking ahead, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is poised to leverage the inaugural success of Seoul Winta, nurturing it into a globally recognized winter festival brand, aimed at captivating audiences worldwide.
Total Visitor Count at Seoul Winta
| Category | 2022 (Dec. 19, 2022 to Jan. 29, 2023) |
2023 (Dec. 15, 2023 to Jan. 21, 2024) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Offline | Offline | TV/online (views) | |
| Total | 3,836,476 | 7,381,826 | 370,830,000 |
| Media art/light festival (subtotal) |
3,107,070 | 5,862,944 | |
| Seoul Light Gwanghwamun | 1,300,606 | 1,896,426 | |
| Seoul Lantern Festival | 1,300,606 | 3,127,026 | |
| Light Festa in Songhyeon | – | 210,988 | |
| Seoul Light DDP | 505,858 | 628,504 | 2,240,000 |
| Market/Skating rink (subtotal) |
678,861 | 1,319,854 | |
| Gwanghwamun Square Market | 539,220 | 1,221,320 | |
| Seoul Plaza Ice-skating Rink (open from Dec. 22, 2023 to Feb. 11, 2024) |
139,641 | 98,534 (as of Jan. 21, 2024) |
|
| New Year’s Bell-ringing Ceremony | 50,545 | 97,000 | 78,590,000 |
| SEOULCon | 50,545 | 102,028 | 290,000,000 |
A full view of Seoul Winter Festa at Gwanghwamun (courtesy of Seoul Tourism Organization)
(Seoul Lantern Festival, Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, Gwanghwamun Square Market, Midnight Sun)
A full view of Gwanghwamun Square Market (courtesy of Seoul Tourism Organization)
White Dragon, Seoul Lantern Festival at Cheonggyecheon Stream (courtesy of Seoul Tourism Organization)
A citizen records the Seoul Light Gwanghwamun using a mobile phone.
The Seoul Light Gwanghwamun site
2023-2024 Seoul Plaza Ice-skating Rink
Midnight Sun at Sejong-daero
New Year’s Countdown Fireworks at DDP (courtesy of Seoul Design Foundation)
Seoul Light DDP Winter (courtesy of Seoul Design Foundation)
The Midnight Sun event covered by CNN, US
The New Year’s Bell-ringing Ceremony covered by CCTV, China
