SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – Seoul Winta (WinterFesta) 2023, held at seven locations in downtown Seoul, including Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul Plaza, and Bosingak, attracted 7.4 million visitors, as reported by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on January 24.
The festival, which ran from December 15 to January 21, combined 10 events across seven venues from the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) to Seoul Plaza, highlighting the city’s biggest winter event.
Countdown Fireworks Festival at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)
The world’s first influencer expo, Seoul Con 2023, which was held between December 30 and January 1, garnered international attention in conjunction with the festival. Content from 3,000 influencer teams visiting Korea was broadcast worldwide.
The diverse light and media art installations across the city also drew significant attention. Seoul Light, the Seoul Lantern Festival, and the Nature of Songhyeon Festa saw an increase of over 2 million visitors compared to last year, with a total of 5.8 million attendees.
Seoul Light Gwanghwamun
The highlight events, the New Year’s Eve bell ringing and countdown, attracted about 97,000 people, nearly double the number from last year. The New Year’s celebration, previously held only at Bosingak, expanded its scope to include Gwanghwamun’s Sejongno thoroughfare, with live broadcasts from Bosingak, Gwanghwamun Square, and the DDP, leading to higher participation.
The Seoul Plaza ice rink and the Gwanghwamun Square Christmas market attracted 1.3 million visitors. The ice rink recorded an average daily attendance of 3,122 people, while the market at Gwanghwamun Square generated revenue of 1.3 billion won.
A figure performance is performed at the Seoul Plaza skating rink on the morning of Jan. 23 to celebrate reaching 100,000 visitors.
The ice rink, which will remain open past the end of the festival until February 11, has seen a surge of visitors eager to skate despite the frigid temperatures, with the wind chill reaching as low as -17.9°C on the morning of January 23.
Just 33 days after its opening this season, the ice rink surpassed 100,000 visitors. The milestone was celebrated with a performance by figure skater Hwang Ji-young dressed in a black outfit adorned with silver decorations.
Her successful execution of skating elements was met with loud applause, and visitors, numbering around 50, cheered enthusiastically, forgetting the cold.
The rink, which opened on December 22 last year, spans approximately 5,333 square meters. Since its inauguration in 2004, the entrance fee has been maintained at 1,000 won, making it an accessible winter landmark for Seoul citizens and tourists alike.
Choi Kyung-ju, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s culture headquarters, commented on the overall success of the Seoul Winta festival, noting, “We discovered the expansiveness and potential of integrating individual events into one large-scale festival with a unified theme. We will continue to work towards making Seoul a city overflowing with attractions year-round, a place people want to visit and revisit.”
Image courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Tourism Organization, Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
