"We hope tourists will enjoy public art in a welcoming way and discover the many charms of the Goto·Sevit tourism zone," said Jeon Seong-su, head of Seoul's Seocho-gu district.
Jeon made the remarks as the district announced it will run the Seocho-Han River Art Tour — a program combining public art exhibition tours and traditional culture experiences — at the Goto·Sevit tourism zone from Thursday through Aug. 30.
The program lets participants explore public artworks around the Picasso Mural Street, one of the zone's signature cultural landmarks, with commentary from professional docents, offering a firsthand look at how art and urban space come together in the tourism district.
Participants will tour public art installations with docent-led commentary, including "Wonder Street" — an ongoing public art exhibition running since April in connection with Crown Haitai's public sculpture project "Gyeongsaeng Sculpture Exhibition" — as well as the "Picasso Mural" and "24 Hours in Seoul" mural. Through the tours, visitors can learn about the participating artists, the formal characteristics of each work, its production background and artistic significance.
Professional docents who have worked at the Seoul Arts Center and Nowon Art Museum will deliver commentary in English, conveying the stories behind the works and the spaces they inhabit. Korean commentary will also be provided, making the program accessible to foreign tourists and local residents alike.
Alongside the exhibition tours, participants can take part in hands-on traditional Korean culture activities. These include decorating a hand mirror using lacquerware stickers and painting a plain folding fan — experiences that introduce Korea's traditional materials and color palette — while allowing visitors to channel inspiration from the public artworks into their own creations.
The Seocho-Han River Art Tour will run eight sessions in total, each starting at 5 p.m. and lasting approximately one hour and 30 minutes. Each session accommodates around 30 participants, and admission is free. Foreign tourists and local residents can register on a first-come, first-served basis via the QR code on the promotional poster or through the Seoripul Youth Art Gallery website.
The district plans to continue expanding specialized tourism content that links the Goto·Sevit zone's public art with its broader cultural tourism resources, offering visitors distinctive cultural and artistic experiences.
"Through this Seocho-Han River Art Tour, we hope tourists will enjoy public art in a more approachable way and experience the many attractions of the Goto·Sevit tourism zone," Jeon said. "We will continue to develop content that connects Seocho's unique cultural, artistic and tourism assets to make the Goto·Sevit zone a destination that domestic and international visitors will want to return to again and again."
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