An image, provided by the Seoul metropolitan government, shows the sun sculpture set to appear for the bell-ringing event at Bosingak Pavilion on New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul city government said Thursday it will launch a large-scale winter festival next month, with media art decorating the downtown area.
Seoul Winter Festa 2024, a network of all the winter events in the city, will kick off Dec. 13 and last until Jan. 5 under the title “soul prism,” with media arts, dazzling media facades and radiant sculptures portraying various faces of Seoul.
Last year, about 7.4 million people visited the festival.
This year’s event will begin with all the lights around Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggye Stream, a stream that runs across central Seoul, lighting up at 6 p.m., and the opening ceremony will kick off at the ceremonial stage in front of Gyeongbok Palace’s Gwanghwamun gate, also known as “woldae.”
Media art featuring four renowned international artists will be displayed at Gwanghwamun Square, and media facades by five artists will decorate the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).
A 14-meter-high Christmas tree will be set up in Gwanghwamun Square, along with a Christmas market under the theme “Santa’s Town.”
On New Year’s Eve, a 30-meter-wide sun sculpture, named the Midnight Sun, will rise behind Bosingak Pavilion as civil representatives ring the bell 33 times, according to the city.
At the same time, LED wristbands worn by 15,000 people and tourists in the crowd watching the event will illuminate the site.
“We will design the Seoul Winter Festa as a representative global festival and make it a brand,” Yang Jeong-woong, the director in charge of the festival, said in a statement.
(Yonhap)
