Christmas in Myeongdong 2025: Lights, Markets, Skating, and the Best Winter Walks (Plus Where to Eat Korean BBQ)

Myeongdong in December is loud, bright, and packed—in a good way if you plan it properly. In 2025, the area around Myeongdong sits right next to several of Seoul’s biggest winter highlights: massive department store façade shows, the Cheonggyecheon lantern walk, Seoul Plaza ice skating, Gwanghwamun’s city winter festival programs, and DDP’s giant media-facade light festival. The best part is you can stitch these together with minimal subway stress, because most of them are within a short ride (or even a walk) from Myeongdong.

This guide is written for travelers staying around Myeongdong (or visiting for shopping) who want Christmas atmosphere without wasting time. You’ll get: what’s on near Myeongdong in Christmas season 2025, the exact event periods that are publicly posted, how to route your evening so you’re not backtracking, what to do if it’s freezing or crowded, and where to land for a proper Korean BBQ meal between the lights.

If you’re visiting our neighborhood and want a warm, satisfying “main event” meal, Mongvely is right in Myeongdong. You can start with the markets and lights, then finish with all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and hot side dishes that actually make winter feel like the point of the trip.

(If you’re already browsing our site, you can jump to our main page here: Homepage, or check locations to pick the closest branch.)

Read also : ➣ Seoul Christmas Spots : 5 Must-Visit During the Jolly Season

Why Myeongdong is a smart base for Christmas season in Seoul

Myeongdong itself has the shopping streets, street snacks, and holiday décor energy. But the real advantage is proximity. In one evening you can realistically do:

• A department store façade show at Shinsegae (Main Store) or Lotte (Main Store)

• A lantern walk along Cheonggyecheon Stream

• Skating at Seoul Plaza (City Hall)

• A city-run light festival program around Gwanghwamun Square

• A quick detour to DDP for the huge media façade and winter light festival

That’s not a “one day tour bus” list—those are actually connected by straightforward walking/subway lines from the Myeongdong/Euljiro/Jongno/City Hall spine of central Seoul.

Read also :
➣ Korean BBQ in Myeongdong: Where to Eat All-You-Can-Eat BBQ Like a Local
➣ The Ultimate Guide to Korean BBQ in Myeongdong

The can’t-miss Christmas lights closest to Myeongdong

Shinsegae Square Media Art Show (Shinsegae Main Store, near Myeongdong)

If you want the biggest “wow” near Myeongdong, this is usually it: Shinsegae’s massive façade turns into a full media art Christmas show. For the 2025 season, the Korea Tourism Organization’s VisitKorea listing gives a clear schedule window and nightly show hours: Nov 7, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026, running 17:00–24:00 for the Main Store media art show.

This is extremely close to Myeongdong—close enough that you can treat it as a “before dinner” or “after dinner” stop without planning your whole day around it.

Practical tip: Don’t aim for the very center-front curb space at peak time. The show reads well from slightly off-angle too, and you’ll spend less energy fighting for a perfect front view. Also, if you plan to film, lock your exposure early—bright whites on the façade can blow out on phone cameras.

If you’re planning dinner around this show, check our locations so you can pick the branch that matches your walking route!

Lotte Department Store Myeongdong Christmas Façade (Main Store)

Lotte’s Myeongdong façade also runs as a seasonal Christmas display. VisitKorea’s 2025 department store Christmas content lists the Christmas Façade (Myeong-dong Main Store) period as Oct 31 – Dec 31, 2025, with lights running 17:30–23:00.

This matters for travelers because it means you still have an option even if you’re in Seoul earlier in December (or even late November) and you want a guaranteed “holiday photo spot” near Myeongdong.

Crowd reality: The week of Christmas and the last week of December get intense. If you hate crowds, go on a weekday and arrive closer to the start time (around 17:30–18:00) rather than late evening.

The best winter events within easy reach of Myeongdong

2025 Seoul Lantern Festival (Cheonggyecheon + Ui Stream)

If you want a longer walk with lots of photo opportunities, the lantern festival is your best “move your legs” plan after a heavy meal.

Official tourism listings show the festival period as Dec 12, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026, located around Cheonggyecheon Stream, with lanterns typically lit 18:00–22:00.

Cheonggyecheon is easy from Myeongdong: you can walk to entrances around Euljiro/Jonggak areas, or take a short subway hop and then drop down to the stream.

How to enjoy it properly:
Walk one direction with intention. A common mistake is wandering down, taking 20 photos, then turning back because it’s crowded. Instead, choose a start point, walk a full stretch, then exit to a warm café or head straight to dinner.

Seoul Plaza Ice Skating Rink (City Hall)

If you want a classic winter activity that doesn’t require a day trip, Seoul Plaza skating is the easiest “I did winter Seoul” checkbox.

A Korea JoongAng Daily report states the rink reopens downtown and provides the 2025–2026 operating schedule and hours, including the low admission price, and hours roughly 10:00–21:30 on most days and later closing on Saturdays/public holidays. An official site for the 2025–2026 Seoul Plaza rink also lists the operating period from Dec 19, 2025 to Feb 8, 2026.

A note for travelers: Even if you’re not a strong skater, it’s still worth it as a photo-friendly winter scene. And because it’s in a very central area, you can do skating → dinner → lights without losing time to long transit.

2025 Seoul Winter Festa (Gwanghwamun Square area)

For 2025, Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official global page for 2025 Seoul Winter Festa describes a multi-program winter festival centered on lights and events, with an opening performance and lighting ceremony at Gwanghwamun Square on Dec 12, 2025.

Gwanghwamun is a short ride from Myeongdong and pairs well with Cheonggyecheon because they’re both central.

Why this is worth your time: Department store façade shows are “stand and watch.” Winter Festa programs give you a broader city vibe—more like a seasonal festival atmosphere rather than a single building spectacle.

Seoul Light DDP 2025 Winter (DDP)

DDP is one of Seoul’s best night visuals year-round, and in winter it goes all-in. Seoul’s official English site notes “Seoul Light DDP 2025 Winter” runs Dec 18–31 across the DDP site and surrounding areas. DDP’s own schedule listing includes a Christmas-themed opening performance (“Santa & The Nutcracker”) as part of the 2025 winter program.

If you’re staying around Myeongdong, DDP is easy: short taxi ride, or subway to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station.

Best way to slot this in: DDP is perfect as the last stop of the night because it’s visually dramatic even when you’re tired. Do Shinsegae/Lotte earlier, eat dinner, then go DDP late.

A quieter Christmas option: Myeongdong Cathedral

Not everyone wants “more shopping.” If you want a calmer, more traditional Christmas atmosphere in the neighborhood, Myeongdong Cathedral is the obvious pick. The cathedral posts its Christmas Mass schedule for 2025 on its official site.

Even if you’re not attending Mass, the cathedral area often feels like a different pace compared to the shopping streets—less neon-commercial, more “seasonal night walk.”

The easiest Christmas-season itinerary from Myeongdong (that actually works)

This is designed for normal travelers: not marathon walkers, not professional photographers, and not people who want to ride the subway 12 times.

Option A: “Lights + BBQ + Lantern Walk” (most popular)

Start: Late afternoon / early evening.

1. Shinsegae Square Media Art Show (or Lotte façade)

2. Walk into Myeongdong for shopping street atmosphere

3. Dinner at Mongvely

4. Cheonggyecheon Lantern Festival walk as your “digestive walk”

5. Optional warm café stop, then back to hotel

Why this works: You see the biggest light show early, then you eat before you get exhausted, then you do a scenic walk that doesn’t require perfect timing.

Option B: “Skating + Dinner + Department Store Show” (best for families)

1. Seoul Plaza Ice Skating Rink

2. Warm up with dinner in Myeongdong

3. Finish with Shinsegae/Lotte façade lights on the way back

Why this works: Skating is physically tiring, so putting dinner immediately after makes the night smoother. The façade shows run late enough that you won’t miss them.

Option C: “Festival route” (Gwanghwamun + Cheonggyecheon + Myeongdong)

1. Gwanghwamun Square Winter Festa area

2. Walk or transit down to Cheonggyecheon Lantern Festival

3. End in Myeongdong for dinner and shopping

This is your best option if you want “Seoul city winter festival” vibes more than department store vibes.

Option D: “DDP mega-lights night” (most dramatic photos)

1. Early dinner in Myeongdong

2. Seoul Light DDP 2025 Winter at DDP

3. Optional stop at Cheonggyecheon on the way back (depending on energy)

This is the best choice if you’re the type of traveler who wants one strong visual highlight and doesn’t care about shopping.

Where Mongvely fits into a Christmas-night plan

Cold weather changes what people want to eat. In summer, travelers snack all day. In December, everyone eventually wants a real warm meal where they can sit down for a while.

Korean BBQ is basically engineered for winter nights:

• Heat at the table

• Hot side dishes and soups

• A full meal pace that resets your energy

• A social, festive feel (especially for groups)

Timing and crowd strategy (so you don’t hate your own trip)

Pick one “must-see” and two “nice-to-see”

Christmas season Seoul content is endless. If you try to do everything in one night, you’ll spend most of your time in transit and in crowds.

A realistic night has:

• One big light show (Shinsegae or DDP)

• One walking event (Cheonggyecheon)

• One activity OR a warm sit-down (skating OR dinner)

Trying to add shopping, cafés, and multiple festivals on top usually turns the night into a checklist.

Don’t start too late

Even though the lights run late, the “comfortable” part of the evening starts earlier. If you start at 8:30–9:00 pm, you’ll hit the coldest hours and the most tired crowds.

A better pattern:

• Start 17:30–18:30 with the façade shows (Lotte’s schedule literally starts 17:30). VISITKOREA - Imagine Your Korea

• Eat 19:00–20:30

• Walk lanterns 20:30–22:00

• Optional last stop (DDP) if you still have energy

Use your dinner as a reset, not an afterthought

In winter, dinner is not “just food.” It’s your warm-up stop, your bathroom stop, your phone-charging moment, and your emotional reset before you go back out. Plan it intentionally.

If you’re traveling in a group, this is why Mongvely works well: you can sit, warm up, and actually enjoy the night instead of shivering through street food only.

Quick “what’s near what” map in your head (no complicated planning)

• Myeongdong ↔ Shinsegae (Main Store): very close, same central cluster (walkable)

• Myeongdong ↔ Lotte Myeongdong façade: also central and walkable for most people

• Myeongdong ↔ Cheonggyecheon: short ride or brisk walk depending on where you enter

• Myeongdong ↔ Seoul Plaza (City Hall): quick subway/taxi

• Myeongdong ↔ Gwanghwamun: quick subway/taxi

• Myeongdong ↔ DDP: straightforward subway line connection

What to wear and bring (December in Seoul, realistically)

This isn’t fashion advice. It’s comfort advice so you don’t quit early.

• Gloves matter more than you think (holding phones for photos = cold hands fast)

• A neck warmer or scarf makes night walking much easier

• Heat-tech base layer if you plan to do Cheonggyecheon + DDP in one night

• Portable battery (you will film the lights; your phone will die)

• If skating: thicker socks (or you’ll regret rentals)

Curious about us? Read More :

➣ Korean BBQ Etiquette 101: Dos and Don’ts at the Grill
➣ The Ultimate Myeongdong Guide: What to Do, See, and Eat (Tips from a Local)
➣ How to Get to Mongvely : Directions to the Best All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ in Myeongdong

Visit Us Now!

Mongvely Main Branch
Address: Myeongdong 8na-gil 9 3rd Floor
Opening Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Mongvely 2nd Branch
Address: Myeongdong 3-gil 44 2nd Floor
Opening Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

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