Operation of cultural facilities during Seollal (2025) No. Facility Place Details; 1: Museum: Seoul Museum of Craft Art: Open during Seollal. 10 AM–6 PM; 2: Museum: Seoul Museum of History: Open during Seollal. 9 AM–6 PM * Including branch museums (e.g., Seoul Urban Life Museum, Cheonggyecheon Museum) 3: Museum: Seoul Baekje Museum: Open You will find the major department stores and chains open but some of the locally run smaller joints may be closed. As a tourist this generally won't negatively impact you. Any must dos check with the providers direct to be safe! A lot of places will be open during the holiday. I’d say in recent years, most places stay open. The only time they aren’t open is the morning of the actual holiday and until about noon. Then even those places open the rest of the day. In Seoul, there will always be something open though. At Namsangol Hanok Village and Unhyeongung in central Seoul, visitors can enjoy traditional New Year's customs firsthand. These events run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday. In the 2025 Year of the Wood Snake, Korean Lunar New Year in Seoul falls on Wednesday, January 29th, with public holiday dates stretching from Monday, January 27th to Thursday, January 30th, with the extra day off that’s been added this year. Seollal (설날) or Lunar New Year is one of the two biggest holidays in Korea and, rightfully so, as it marks the start of another year. It is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, so the exact dates differ from year to year. This year, it lands on January 29, 2025. South Korea’s three best theme parks Everland, Lotte World, and Seoul Land are open during the Korean Lunar New Year and offer various attractions and Seollal-themed events including light shows and parades. The Lunar New Year holiday, known as Seol in South Korea, has been extended to six days, from Jan. 25 to 30. Families, friends, and lovers can enjoy various festive events across the country. From traditional folk games to cultural experiences, here is a list of places to visit this Seol holiday. At Museums and art museums run by the Seoul Metropolitan City will be open on the replacement holiday, February 12 (Monday). Note that Seoul’s official website will undergo system maintenance during the holidays (February 8 [Thursday] 18:00 – February 12 [Monday] 11:00). Seollal, one of Korea’s major holiday seasons, typically lasts for three days. However, this year, the Korean government has designated January 27th as a temporary public holiday, extending the Seollal holiday to five days, from January 25th to 30th, including the weekend. Seoul will be very quiet during this time as many families leave Seoul and visit their families/ relatives in their hometowns that means many shops and restaurants close during this time but there are also places that open during this time such as the 4 Palaces (Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, Gyeongbokgung and Changyeonggung incl. Jongmyo Shrine Answer 1 of 2: I am thinking about spending New Year (3 days) in Seoul. Is it a good time to visit? I only asked because I was in Tokyo last New Year, and it turns out to be a bit disappointing since it is the biggest holiday in Japan and many of the Seoul will be very quiet during this time as many families leave Seoul and visit their families/ relatives in their hometowns that means many shops and restaurants close during this time but there are also places that open during this time such as the 4 Palaces (Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, Gyeongbokgung and Changyeonggung incl. Jongmyo Shrine Sightseeing places (such as palaces, N Seoul Tower, Everland) do stay open during Seollal. Shop closures vary, but you can expect department stores and a number of stores in major shopping districts and markets to be closed for 2 days (typically New Year's Day itself and the day after). I was planning on going to DisneySea next year Feb 10 but when I was checking I noticed that it's the same day as Chinese New Year. Should I be worried about big crowds? I've heard I should avoid popular tourist destinations during their holidays though I'm not sure Japanese people celebrate Chinese New Year. For the upcoming Seollal holidays, Seoul Metropolitan City will host a variety of cultural events for those who stay in Seoul during the holidays or return from their hometowns early. Museums and art museums run by the Seoul Metropolitan City will be open on the replacement holiday, February 12 (Monday). 2. Are Seollal and Chinese New Year the same? Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year) and Chinese New Year are on the same date, but they are distinct celebrations associated with different cultures. If you have more questions about Seollal or anything about Korean culture, please leave your questions or comments below. I’ll answer to your questions. Will be traveling to Seoul from 19-27 Jan 2023, which coincides with Lunar New Year (22 Jan 2023). Will shops/restaurants be open during this period? Also, thinking of going on a weekend trip to Gyeongju from 21-22 Jan. Would this be advisable? Just worried that most shops will be closed during this time. Thanks! Hi all, we will be visiting seoul fr 12 feb til 22 feb which the chinese new yr holidays falls in between. Just like to find out if the shops are still as active cos back home, most of the major malls are not open till the second or third days of And now, several Asian countries like China, Mongolia, Vietnam celebrate the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year (Seollal) Once you come to visit Korea to enjoy the most awaiting Chinese New Year you will definitely get the amazing entertainment for you. Mainly, the people of this city spend the day with their family.
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