If you have time for one Christmas outing in Seoul, decide which winter you’d like to step into. The Hyundai Seoul brings a New York street indoors from Nov. 10. Lotte Town in Jamsil turns an open-air plaza into a 19th-century English market from Nov. 19. In Yeouido you can follow a story through the windows and shopfronts. In Jamsil, leave time for snacks and gifts around an evening performance.

A rendering of brownstones and shopfronts on a New York street.현대백화점

The official concept rendering for Yeouido’s 2026 New York display.

The Yeouido set takes its cues from New York in 1985, with brownstones, a newsstand and a yellow cab. The shop windows carry details from the winter story, and souvenirs vary by branch. If you’re going for a particular item, check the sales dates in the Yeouido listing first.

A path winding between trees inside the department store.현대백화점그룹

The walk to the workshop at The Hyundai Seoul in 2025.

Yeouido: the New York street where a stray cat meets Santa

The theme on the fifth-floor Sounds Forest at The Hyundai Seoul is Christmas in New York City. The department store’s event listing points to New York’s Yorkville neighborhood. In the story, Santa delivers presents with a stray cat at his side. Look at the windows, shop signs and street corners. Those are the details that make the set feel like a neighborhood.

A timber cabin in an indoor garden.현대백화점그룹

H Village at The Hyundai Seoul in 2025.

Last year, Harry’s Christmas Workshop used a cluster of cabins to show where gifts were made, including Santa’s house and a workshop for letters. This year’s display moves the story onto the streets where the gifts arrive. If you went last year, start with the shop windows and see what has changed. The cabins in the archive photographs belong to the earlier display.

Timber walls and red ornaments inside a Christmas cabin.현대백화점그룹

The Hyundai Seoul’s 2025 Christmas workshop.

Check entry arrangements first if you’re short on time. Hyundai says advance booking or a wait on site may be required depending on the branch and dates. Choose your session from the Yeouido notice. For a visit that includes a meal, it’s easier to book the display first and plan the rest around it. With young children, finding a restroom and somewhere to take a break before entry can make the visit easier.

A workbench surrounded by foliage and animal decorations.현대백화점그룹

A detail from The Hyundai Seoul’s 2025 workshop.

Hyundai’s 2025 video shows last year’s workshop. Keep it in mind as you walk the new New York street and see how the same space tells a different story.

Jamsil: an outdoor market built around a clock tower

Lotte World Tower’s World Park lawn takes on the look of a 19th-century English winter street. Arched windows, red brick and a 17-meter clock tower set the scene. The tower is new this year, so you won’t find it in the archive photos of the market. Pick up fish and chips, then stay for carols or musical numbers if the schedule lines up.

After dark, the Christmas Time Show uses the façade of Lotte World Mall, and live performances are planned for weekends. Come in the evening if you’re there for the lights and music. Families hoping to avoid the busiest stretch can start with the stalls and carousel in daylight. Daytime photos tend to show the street and its visitors, while the evening belongs to the lights.

A red-roofed carousel in the Jamsil plaza during daylight.김현지 / 파이낸셜뉴스

The Jamsil market plaza during the 2025 preview opening.

This year’s ticket guide distinguishes the free standard option with an on-site wait from the paid Fast Pass with direct entry. The first booking round opens Nov. 9 at 14:00 for November visits. December and year-end tickets open in separate rounds from Nov. 20 and Dec. 7, respectively. Choose the round for the date you’ll actually visit.

An outdoor market lit up under the early evening sky.a4b4

The Jamsil market in early evening in 2025.

How the two settings change the way you walk

Hyundai’s account of last year’s workshop shows cabins and animated animals that drew visitors from one part of the story to the next. This year, brownstones and newsstands do that work. The current rendering is useful for the street layout. The old workshop photos give a better sense of the room’s scale with people in it.

Vendors in Christmas hats behind a counter.a4b4

A food stall at the 2025 Jamsil market.

Past photos of Jamsil show the buildings around the plaza by day and the tree and carousel taking over the view at night. The Victorian theme is new, but the day-and-night comparison still helps you plan. A quick look around in a coat is a different outing from standing outside until a show starts.

A carousel illuminated by golden lights.a4b4

The carousel at the 2025 Jamsil market.

Three ways to choose

Yeouido is indoors if you want a plan that holds up in rain or cold. For photos at either venue, try one at eye level and another wide enough to include the whole scene. See how a small Yeouido window or Jamsil’s clock tower looks next to a person.

A drink held up in front of a Christmas tree.a4b4

A winter drink at the 2025 Jamsil market.

Choose Jamsil if you want to build the outing around food and performances. Yeouido is convenient when you have a set amount of time to see the display and sit down for a meal. If this is your first holiday season in Korea, both show how retail spaces become gathering places. People stop on their way through a department store in Yeouido. In Jamsil, the market itself is the destination.

The Hyundai Seoul on Naver Map

The Hyundai Seoul on Naver Map

  • Yeouido: Sounds Forest, fifth floor of The Hyundai Seoul, 108 Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu. Opens Nov. 10.
  • Jamsil: World Park lawn, Lotte World Tower, 300 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu. Nov. 19–Jan. 3.
  • Entry: Check the Yeouido branch notice for sessions and choose the Jamsil booking round for your visit month.

You’ll probably remember one scene more clearly than the height of the tree. Choose Yeouido if you like lingering at shop windows. Choose Jamsil if you want to be out in the plaza when the lights come on.