Songpa District Sees 'The Sphere' Effect... 8.1 Million Visitors to Seokchon Lake in One Month

Visitor Numbers Surge by 1.72 Million in May

Songpa District in Seoul (District Mayor Seo Kangseok) announced on September 24 that the number of visitors to the Seokchon Lake area increased by 1.72 million in a single month compared to May of last year, following the opening of the media art facility ‘The Sphere’ this spring.

Foreign visitors at 'The Sphere.' Provided by Songpa District.

‘The Sphere’ is a 7-meter-diameter sphere-shaped media art installation set up by Songpa District on the west lake of Seokchon Lake in May. Utilizing 3,096 LED panels, it showcases 27 types of media art content, including representations of the solar system and famous paintings.

According to the district’s own big data analysis (using SKT telecommunications data), approximately 8.1 million people visited in May this year, a significant increase from 6.38 million in the same month last year.

Notably, last year, the number of visitors dropped from 6.77 million in April, during the cherry blossom season, to 6.38 million in May. However, this year, the figure rose from 6.74 million in April to 8.1 million in May, an additional increase of 1.36 million, clearly demonstrating the impact of ‘The Sphere’.

Songpa District also believes that the synergy effect with the ‘Hosugyo Gallery,’ created in March this year under the Jamsu Bridge at the center of Seokchon Lake, and the art museum ‘The Gallery Lake,’ established on the east lake promenade in November last year, contributed to the increase in visitors. The main age groups of visitors are those in their 20s to 50s, but there has been a steady rise in visitors across all age groups from teenagers to those in their 60s. In particular, the area’s popularity as a nightscape attraction was confirmed by the concentration of visitors between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Seo Kangseok, Mayor of Songpa District, stated, “The Sphere is a new landmark that shares Songpa’s nightscape and culture with the world,” adding, “By combining cultural and tourism resources, we will develop Songpa into an international tourist city that attracts visitors from around the globe.”

Meanwhile, the district plans to further promote ‘The Sphere’ as the starting point of the ‘Songpa-daero Walkable Street Garden Project’ by displaying a series of holiday-themed videos for Chuseok and other holidays, adding guided tour courses, installing information signs, and hosting exhibitions and performances by young artists.

The exterior of The Sphere. Provided by Songpa District.

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