Seoul City, which is preparing for Korea's largest winter event, the "Seoul Winter Festa," has yet to confirm the use of Gwanghwamun with only 10 days left until the opening ceremony.
The delay is due to disagreements between Seoul City and the Cultural Heritage Administration over the use of the woldae (royal platform) and the installation of Korean Wave-themed attractions, such as those inspired by Squid Game.
The 2024 Seoul Winter Festa will take place from December 13 to January 5 across several venues, including Gwanghwamun, Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul Plaza, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), and Bosingak Pavilion.
Originally launched last year, the event aims to unify previously scattered winter festivities into one large-scale celebration. This year, Seoul City plans to host the opening ceremony on the woldae and present a massive media façade called “Seoul Light Gwanghwamun Luminous Axis,” extending from the front of Gwanghwamun to Gwanghwamun Square.
Using Gwanghwamun for events requires permission from the Cultural Heritage Administration, which manages Gyeongbokgung Palace. Last month, Seoul City submitted requests to use the woldae for the opening ceremony stage setup and teardown (December 10–14), the palace walls for the media façade (December 13–January 5), and for lighting installations (December 30–31).
However, the application is currently on hold. Concerns were raised during the review process that hosting the opening ceremony on the woldae and installing large spectator stands within 100 meters of Gwanghwamun could damage the platform. Additionally, some committee members felt that the Squid Game Season 2 characters and special exhibits planned for Gwanghwamun Square clashed with the traditional aesthetic of the royal palace.
Seoul City has expressed dissatisfaction, accusing the Cultural Heritage Administration of being uncooperative not only with development projects but also with cultural events. According to the Gyeongbokgung Management Office, this year’s event duration has been reduced from 58 days to 24 days compared to last year, with most installations moved off the woldae to adjacent spaces, minimizing potential damage to cultural heritage. Seoul City also argued that as the manager of Gwanghwamun Square, content planning falls under its jurisdiction.
Criticism has also been directed at Seoul City for focusing solely on administrative convenience when using cultural heritage sites. Normally, applications for using Gwanghwamun should be submitted five to six months in advance, or at least two months ahead. However, for the second consecutive year, Seoul City submitted its application just one month prior to the event.
Some groups have pointed out that, despite submitting applications six months in advance, they underwent rigorous reviews, while Seoul City failed to follow such preparations. Professor Lee Hoon of Hanyang University’s Department of Tourism remarked, “From the perspective of cultural heritage preservation, sufficient time is required for reviews and revisions. Municipalities should adopt a more responsible approach to ensure adequate time for the review process.”
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