Through this weekend, October 8–12, 2025, Seoul is hosting the Fall K-Royal Culture Festival (궁중문화축전) at its four historic palaces, including Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. The event features royal court music, dance, traditional craft workshops, and popular nighttime tours under autumn skies.
The Gimcheon Gimbap Festival in North Gyeongsang Province turns Korea’s beloved picnic food into a cultural celebration. Inspired by the city’s name sounding like Gimbap Cheonguk (“Gimbap Heaven”), the festival debuted in 2024 with over 100,000 visitors.
A surprising new hotspot is rising in Korea’s tourism scene: pharmacies. Once seen only as places to fill prescriptions, Korean pharmacies are now popular with foreign visitors searching for unique skincare, acne treatments, and healing creams that can’t be found in regular beauty shops.
Seoul isn’t the only stage — today the Sea Art Festival 2025 opens at Dadaepo Beach in Busan, running September 27 through November 2, 2025.
With the theme “Undercurrents: Walking Waves on Water”, artists from 17 countries showcase 46 works blending nature, light, and sound across coastal paths and urban spaces.
From Sept 25 to 28, Seoul will host the 2025 K‑Traditional Culture Festival in Seongsu, Seongdong District, spotlighting the evolution of Korean tradition into modern urban life. Over 30 artists will exhibit their interpretations of traditional daily life in the “Modern Korean Lifestyle” exhibition.
As a growing design city, Seoul is shining once again in the global art and design world. From September 1–14, 2025, the city hosted its first-ever Design Miami / Seoul exhibition at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).
The fair, titled “Illuminated: A Spotlight on Korean Design”, shows off 170 works by 71 Korean artists—traditional craftsmanship (수공예) meets cutting-edge materials like wood, metal, horsehair, and ceramics.
Seoul’s design culture is going global—and going green. The Seoul Design Foundation showcased seven Seoul brands at Maison & Objet Paris 2025 (September 4-8) combining craftsmanship, eco-friendly materials, and urban style for international audiences.
