What Will Be Seoul's Color Next Year?... 'Morning Yellow' Inspired by the Morning Sun

Extracted from Citizens' Morning Sun Images
"Capturing Citizens' Wishes for an Uneventful Daily Life"
Unveiled at Landmarks Including City Hall, Namsan, and DDP

'Morning Yellow,' a yellow hue inspired by the morning sun, has been selected as the new 'Seoul Color' to represent the city next year. This marks the third Seoul Color, following last year's Sky Coral and this year's Green Aurora.

On December 2, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that Morning Yellow has been chosen as the '2026 Seoul Color.' Morning Yellow was extracted from the morning sun that starts the day for Seoul citizens. The city explained that the yellow light of the morning sun, which citizens greet each day, embodies the energy of a clear and peaceful day that people hope for.

To ensure Seoul Color reflects citizens' daily lives, the city analyzed big data on social, climate, and lifestyle changes last year to identify key trends for this year. The analysis found that 2025 was marked by frequent changes, such as abnormal weather including frequent rain and autumn monsoons, fatigue from the flood of digital information, and social uncertainty. As a result, citizens expressed a desire for 'uneventful daily life' and 'inner stability.'

A survey of 1,416 Seoul citizens also revealed that 'vitality' was the most desired value to be reflected in next year's Seoul Color. The city stated, "Morning Yellow captures these wishes of citizens: 'a clear and peaceful moment that opens an uneventful day' and 'hoping for clear skies today.'"

Notably, Morning Yellow was extracted from more than 3,000 images of 'Seoul's morning sun' taken and shared online by citizens themselves. The color tones of the morning sun, as seen by citizens, were analyzed according to the Korea Standard Color Association (KSCA) guidelines, and a color group that embodies both stability and vitality was ultimately selected.

Starting today, Morning Yellow will be unveiled at major landmarks such as Seoul City Hall, Namsan Seoul Tower, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Lotte World Tower, Gwanghwamun Square, and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. In addition, Seoul Color paint, various goods, and lifestyle items featuring Morning Yellow will be introduced to further connect with citizens.

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon stated, "Just like 'Mokmyeok Jodon,' a painting by Jeong Seon depicting the sunrise over Namsan, the morning in Seoul symbolizes the beginning and hope of the city." He added, "By reinterpreting this historical motif to match the sentiments of citizens and the current urban context, we will widely promote Morning Yellow so that it brings peaceful energy and hope to citizens' daily lives and enhances the city's appeal."

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