How to Create a New Year’s Resolution It’s the end of the year, and it’s supposed to be special, but last-minute planning tends to go awry. Here are eight spaces to visit in December, including exhibitions, events, and bars. You can also check out our guide to full-fledged Christmas planning, including where to go on Christmas Day, holiday attractions, Christmas date ideas, and more.
1. The Immortalized Van Gogh
With the proliferation of media art exhibitions, it seems like there’s an exhibition of the popular painter Van Gogh somewhere all year round. However, it’s not always possible to see the artist’s work in person. For the first time in 12 years, the exhibition ‘Van Gogh, the Immortal Painter’ will be held at the Rijksmuseum. It’s organized by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterloo, known as the two great repositories of Van Gogh’s work, and includes works such as The Good Samaritan.
📍Hangaram Museum of Art
🗓️ November 29, 2024 – March 16, 2025
2. Candlelight Concert
Candlelight, which presents a magical time with live musical lights, is holding a special Christmas concert in December. Held at the Jeongdong 1928 Art Center, tucked away on the quiet Deoksugung-gil in Jeongdong, classic carols will be reinterpreted by a string quartet. Tickets can be purchased here.
📍Jeongdong 1928 Art Center
🗓️ December 22, 2024
3. Dragon Hills Spa
A jjimjilbang that sits proudly next to the huge Yongsan Station without being overwhelmed. It’s Dragon Hill Spa. It’s a jjimjilbang that I haven’t visited since I used to follow my parents there as a child, but somehow, I feel repentant when I go there in the cold winter and soak in the warm water. It’s a great place to make memories with friends, food, and towels. Spend a special year-end at a jjimjilbang, which has become a “hip” space that has become the center of parties in recent years.
📍40, Hangangdae-ro 21na-gil, Yongsan-gu
4. Gwanghwamun Market
From food festivals to book fairs, Gwanghwamun Square has been a hotspot for events since its reopening. In December, a Christmas market opens. Being surrounded by Christmas decorations is enough to get you in the holiday spirit, but you’ll also enjoy browsing through more than 100 shops selling everything from food to crafts.
📍Gwanghwamun Square, Sejongno Park
🗓️ December 13, 2024 – January 5, 2025
5. Bar Zest
Shochu and beer are enough to keep us happy, but during the holidays, we’re more willing to open our wallets for cocktails that taste delicate and look pretty. Zest, the first zero-waste bar in Korea, is dedicated to sustainable fine drinking, and was recently ranked 9th on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. If you want to try Zest, make a reservation sooner rather than later.
📍26, Dosan-daero 55-gil, Gangnam-gu
6. Pishok
Fine dining, raw noodles, and veganism have become popular keywords in the restaurant industry in the wake of the black-and-white chef craze, and the hottest place to eat right now is the Namyeongdong neighborhood. While you won’t be able to visit broadcasting-related restaurants for a while, there are plenty of places in this neighborhood that are just as delicious without being on TV. Pishok, a restaurant famous for its raw noodle pasta at Sungshin Women’s University, has been renovated and opened under a new name. Pishok, a renovated and renamed version of Okdol, a popular pasta restaurant at Seongsin Women’s College, is also nearby.
📍42, Wonhyo-ro 97-gil, Yongsan-gu
7. Seoul Plaza Skating Rink
No winter activity is complete without ice skating, and Seoul’ s ice rink is based in Seoul Plaza. The Seoul Plaza Ice Rink, which opens at the end of December every year, is the most affordable ice rink in Seoul, costing only 1,000 won per hour. It’s a great place to come and go without a plan and “dip in and out” to brighten up your day.
📍Seoul Plaza
8. Yuko Higuchi Special Exhibition
Yuko Higuchi Special Exhibition: Secret Forest, the first exhibition in Korea by the artist known for her mysterious cat series, is now on display at The Contemporary Seoul. Thanks to Christmas, winter and fantasy go hand in hand, and this exhibition of secret fantasy worlds is sure to inspire you.
📍The Hyundai Seoul ALT.1
🗓️ October 3, 2024 – January 22, 2025