Seoul Bitchorong & Gwanghwamun Square Market Closes Successfully After 1.3 Million Visitors

Extended Operation Beyond Initial Plan Due to Enthusiastic Response

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation announced on the 25th that the '2022 Seoul Light Lantern Festival' and the 'Gwanghwamun Square Market' have concluded after operating for a total of 36 days from December 19 last year to the 24th of this month.

The Seoul Light Lantern Festival, which had been held at Cheonggyecheon since 2009, was held for the first time at Gwanghwamun Square in 2022 to coincide with the reopening of Gwanghwamun Square. Along with the establishment of the Gwanghwamun Square Market in collaboration with small business owners, it has been recognized as a representative winter festival of Gwanghwamun Square featuring attractions, entertainment, and food.

Originally, the Seoul Light Lantern Festival and the Gwanghwamun Square Market were scheduled to operate for 13 days from December 19 to 31 last year. However, thanks to the enthusiastic support of citizens, with 223,000 visitors during the Christmas period alone, the event was extended until the Lunar New Year holiday on January 24 this year, operating for a total of 36 days.

The Seoul Light Lantern Festival and the Gwanghwamun Square Market also had a positive impact on increasing sales in nearby commercial areas. According to a survey conducted on 101 stores near Gwanghwamun Square, 75.2% responded that the event contributed to the economic development of the surrounding commercial district, and 74.2% reported an actual increase in sales, confirming that the event helped revitalize the commercial area near Gwanghwamun Square.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation concluded the event safely with no incidents or accidents, through thorough safety management and close cooperation with related organizations such as the police and fire departments.

Kim Young-hwan, Director of the Tourism and Sports Bureau of Seoul, stated, “Based on the successful experience at Gwanghwamun Square this year, we plan to operate it as Seoul’s representative winter festival next year by organizing more abundant light exhibitions, performances, and markets to captivate winter tourists.”

Gil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Foundation, said, “We sincerely thank everyone for the great interest in the Seoul Light Lantern Festival, which returned on a large scale after three years due to COVID-19,” and added, “We will consider and research various aspects such as content and scale to help the Seoul Light Lantern Festival become one of the world’s top four winter festivals.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.