Beat the heat with culture: Seoul's cool weekend escapes in August

Seoul Facilities Corp. is hosting a series of performances, film screenings and exhibitions at cool indoor and outdoor venues — including underground shopping centers and water play areas — to help residents escape the summer heat and enjoy culture and leisure.

At the underground plaza of Jamsil Underground Shopping Center on Saturday, singers will take the stage twice — at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. The 1 p.m. set features Kim Yeo-reum, Lee Haetbit, Geum In-a and Eun-yul performing songs including "One Late Night in 1994" and "Slow Motion," while the 4 p.m. set has Woo I-cheon and Clover performing "Ipchun," "Don't Worry" and "Why Are You Like That," among others.

On Aug. 14 from 6 to 10 p.m., Gocheok Sky Dome will host the 4th Go Sky Dome Film Screening under the theme "A Midsummer Night's Dome." The dome's ground and locker room facilities will be open to visitors, and a Seoul pop-up outdoor library will also operate on site.

From the first-base cheering stand, attendees can enjoy live performances by a film music band and a circus act. The animated film "Ico: Aurora Expedition's Adventure" will be screened on the stadium's side scoreboard.

Seoul Children's Grand Park will keep its "Mulgyeol Garden" water play area open through Aug. 23. The facility, which features floor fountains and a stream-style water play zone, is free and open to all.

Community-oriented art exhibitions are on view at the Atelier Gallery at Euljiro 4-ga Station and the Gap Gallery at Euljiro 3-ga Station. The shows feature works by artist Seok Yu-na alongside art therapy pieces created by dementia patients at Seoul Metropolitan Seobuk Hospital.

At the "Animal School" program, "A Useful Animal Field Guide" runs through Aug. 15, while the "Ecology Classroom" offers hands-on activities including making a Taegukgi flag and dyeing handkerchiefs. Also on Friday, the artificial-turf soccer field at Guuimun will host "Green Forest Water Adventure," featuring a mist tunnel, a large slide and water gun games.

Han Guk-yeong, president of Seoul Facilities Corp., said the organization had put together a wide range of programs — from underground shopping center busking and exhibitions to the Gocheok Sky Dome film screening and water play activities at Children's Grand Park — "so that citizens can enjoy both culture and relaxation even in the sweltering heat."