Seoul Extends Night Hours for Lantern Festival and Gwanghwamun Market as Crowds Surge
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Seoul Tourism Organization has extended hours for the 2025 Seoul Lantern Festival (Seoul Bitchorong Festival) by one hour, now ending at 11 p.m., and the 2025 Gwanghwamun Market by 30 minutes to 10 p.m. Both events—running along Cheonggyecheon and Ui streams and near Gwanghwamun Plaza—drew about 1.48 million visitors within five days of opening. The extensions respond to Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s on-site inspection and aim to give late-evening visitors and night tourists more time to enjoy the attractions and to ease crowding by spreading peak attendance. Safety measures are being strengthened: weekend and holiday safety staff increased from 60 to 71, additional personnel placed at stairs, walkways and popular installations, and real-time crowd control will keep on-site numbers below 12,000. Emergency contact and response procedures were also rechecked to ensure a safe, comfortable experience and support local businesses around the events.
