Approximately 700,000 people attended the 'Seoul Light DDP 2026 Fall' event, which took place from September 3 to 13. The influx of visitors to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) area led to bustling activity in nearby restaurants, cafes, and shopping malls.
The Seoul Design Foundation reported on September 28 that the event attracted a total of 700,000 visitors, averaging about 64,000 per day, marking the highest attendance for a fall event to date.
Foot traffic in the area also increased. According to the Seoul Open Data Plaza, the number of passengers entering and exiting Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station reached 961,725 during the event, an 8.3% increase compared to the same period last month. From 6 PM to midnight, the increase was 15.1%, and during the peak viewing hours of 7 PM to 10 PM, it rose by 21.9%. Notably, the number of users around 8 PM surged from 46,645 to 59,155, a 26.8% increase.
This surge in visitors translated into increased consumer spending. The DDP Design Store Lounge, which opened in June, reported sales more than double that of the same period last year. Data from the past three years shows a trend of rising consumer spending in the Dongdaemun area. According to the Seoul AI Foundation, attendance at fall events increased from 539,000 in 2023 to 613,000 in 2025, a 13.7% rise. This year, attendance reached approximately 700,000.
Shinhan Card reported that card sales in the Dongdaemun area exceeded 9 billion won during the event period from 2023 to 2025. Foreign card sales also saw significant growth, increasing from 2.2 billion won in 2023 to 3.4 billion won in 2024, a rise of over 50%. Last year, foreign sales accounted for 34% of total sales, and about 20% of this year's attendees were foreign residents.
This year, the event featured 'responsive media art' on the 222-meter DDP exterior, which was registered in the Guinness World Records last August. The artwork, set to music, showcased graphics that changed in real-time, incorporating pieces by Nam June Paik and Yoo Young-guk, along with content reinterpreting the Korean poetry anthology 'Cheonggu Yeong-eon' through lasers, lighting, and 3D sound.
To attract visitors year-round, the Seoul Design Foundation will operate a permanent media art program called 'DDP 365 Light' in the area surrounding the exhibition hall. This program will feature a media show combining lasers, video, and sound every hour and half-hour for about five minutes each night. The 'Seoul Light DDP 2026 Winter' event is set to begin on December 17, with a New Year's countdown event scheduled for December 31.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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