Enjoy Sports and Culture at Night... Oh Sehoon Aims for 5 Trillion Won in Night Economy Consumption (Comprehensive)

Mayor Oh Se-hoon Announces Seoul-style Night Economy on August 20
Extended Hours for Sports and Parks with Healing Events
Designation of Moonlight Night Markets and More Late-Night Transit... Preparing New Ordinance

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will launch the 'Seoul-Style Nighttime Economy' initiative, allowing residents and tourists to safely enjoy tourism, culture, sports, and leisure activities even at night. The city plans to foster four main nighttime landmarks—Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Namsan, Gwanghwamun, and Hangang River. Through these efforts, the goal is to generate an additional 5 trillion won in nighttime consumption and attract 30 million foreign tourists by 2030.

On the morning of August 20, Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon announced the Seoul-Style Nighttime Economy Strategy at City Hall, stating, "We will enrich citizens’ evenings and connect this energy to new opportunities for neighborhoods and the local economy." He added, "We aim to achieve both goals—bringing prosperity to citizens' lives after work and, at the same time, boosting Seoul’s overall economy."

Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon is participating and presenting at the Seoul Nighttime Economy Revitalization Press Conference held at the Seoul City Hall Grand Conference Room on the 20th. Photo by Seoul City

He particularly emphasized that this is a comprehensive urban strategy, not just a policy to extend shop or restaurant opening hours late into the night. The aim is to provide citizens with vibrant evenings enriched by health, culture, and leisure, while offering tourists more reasons to enjoy Seoul for longer, creating more opportunities for local small businesses to benefit from increased sales.

Sports Facilities Open Until Midnight...Utilizing the Waterfront and Parks

To ensure residents can exercise after work, the city and districts will operate up to 269 sports facilities in schools, parks, and public venues until as late as midnight, depending on conditions. Among these, 259 sports facilities along the Hangang and its tributaries will see improvements in lighting and amenities to enable use late into the night. Running and cycling programs at night along the Hangang will be expanded, and rewards will be offered to participants who certify visits to nighttime attractions through the Wrist Doctor 9988 challenge.

The number of ‘Seoul Moolbit Naru’ (special waterfront spaces such as Hongjecheon and Anyangcheon) will be increased from 19 currently to 40 by 2030, and each of the 25 districts will develop unique nighttime attractions. Urban parks such as Seoul Forest and Maeheon Citizen’s Forest will be transformed into healing spaces by introducing garden theaters and wellness programs like yoga and stretching.

Currently, eight municipal cultural facilities (including museums and art galleries) are open at night one day a week. Starting next month, these will be incrementally expanded to operate five days a week until 9 p.m. The ‘Seoul Museum Night’ initiative will introduce various programs tailored to each facility, such as family history tours and curator-led nighttime exhibition talks. Outdoor courtyards at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, rooftops and backyards of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, and areas around Daehak-ro will also be used as cultural spaces.

Special experiences will be offered to citizens and tourists through 'K-hiking' to enjoy the city’s nighttime scenery and temple meditation sessions. The ‘Seoul Moonlight Night Market,’ which brings local foods and small business districts to life as nighttime content, will start at five sites this year and expand to 25 locations by 2028. Each market will receive up to 2 billion won in support, including assistance in discovering classic eateries and alley restaurants, upgrading spaces, branding, and marketing.

The Four Nighttime Landmarks...Firefly Buses to Operate

The city will focus on developing DDP, Namsan, Gwanghwamun, and the Hangang River as the four main nighttime landmarks. By offering content tailored to the unique charm of each space, the goal is to extend visitor stays, revitalizing surrounding commercial areas. Beginning next month, a laser art show will be piloted at DDP; from October, outdoor movies and busking performances will be presented at the tent village of Baekbeom Square in Namsan. Gwanghwamun will be transformed into a nighttime venue blending history and media art, while Hangang River will host nighttime camping and various festivals to establish itself as a truly attractive destination.

Mayor Oh stated, "The dynamism initiated at the four major landmarks will spread to nearby commercial and residential areas. We will boldly open up the city, but we will also pay meticulous attention to safety, order, and coexistence with residents."

Starting in October, in addition to the existing late-night buses (N buses), the city will operate special late-night ‘Firefly Buses’ connecting major nighttime attractions and subway stations. These Firefly Buses will run from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the following day, focusing on improving transportation convenience between key nighttime attractions and major hubs. After launching, the city will analyze demand and congestion along major routes, increasing the number of buses where necessary and considering route expansions in connection with next year's city bus network reorganization.

Major nighttime hubs will be designated as priority management zones and monitored in real time for crowding and congestion using AI-powered surveillance cameras. Emergency medical response systems linking Seoul City, public health centers, fire stations, and hospitals will be established at these key locations.

Next month, the city will launch the ‘Seoul Nighttime Economy Committee’ to provide advice on master planning, win-win districts, and regulatory improvement. Work is also underway to prepare an ‘Ordinance on Nighttime Economy Revitalization,’ slated to take effect in January next year.

Through these efforts, the city aims to generate an additional 5 trillion won in annual nighttime consumption within five years, attract 30 million foreign tourists, and have more than 50% of small business owners' total sales occur at night. According to analysis of card transaction data, average daily nighttime spending from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. was 311.8 billion won, and with the nighttime economy initiative, an additional 4% increase in consumption is forecast, setting an annual target of 5 trillion won.

Mayor Oh stated, "The Seoul-Style Nighttime Economy is a policy that adjusts the city's hours to citizens’ lifestyles so that, even after work, people can exercise, enjoy culture, and spend more fulfilling time with their families. The energy generated from citizens’ enriched evenings will be connected to new opportunities for tourism and neighborhood economies."

However, Mayor Oh clarified that a decision has not yet been made about appointing a “Night Mayor”—a figure who would coordinate the nighttime economy policy. Previously, in June, the city had announced plans to adopt the Night Mayor system used in major overseas cities, assigning overall responsibility for nighttime urban tourism and commercial districts.

He explained, "Research has shown that the Night Mayor position does not have only advantages. The question of which governance structure will help achieve visible outcomes in the shortest time has not yet been resolved. It is too early to make a conclusive statement about the city's approach at this time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.