Seoul to create 25 nighttime destinations across all districts

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is developing a network of "Seoul Starlight Destinations" — nighttime attractions in neighborhood parks, waterfront areas and cultural spaces — so residents can enjoy the city after dark without traveling to the city center.

The city announced the "Seoul Starlight Destinations" project Saturday, saying it aims to identify places where residents can gather and linger, turning them into hubs for the nighttime economy.

The project responds to residents who found existing nighttime attractions difficult to reach because they were concentrated along the Han River and in the city center. The initiative focuses on bringing nighttime leisure into everyday neighborhoods — giving residents more meaningful ways to spend their evenings while creating an economic foundation in which nighttime visits translate into spending at local businesses.

A survey of 1,000 residents conducted in July found that 82.6 percent of respondents said they would use a nighttime destination if one were created in their neighborhood. The top preferred activities were park and waterfront walking paths (44.2 percent), outdoor dining areas (37.8 percent) and evening openings of historic palaces and museums (33.3 percent).

The city plans to develop a total of 25 nighttime destinations in stages through 2028, starting with 10 sites this year. Selected districts will receive up to 1 billion won ($751,000) in development funding, with each district contributing a share of project costs according to local conditions.

To select the 10 sites for this year, the city held an open competition for all 25 districts from Aug. 26 to Sept. 16. A total of 21 districts submitted 27 candidate sites.

Selection will be carried out by an eight-member panel of internal and external experts through a two-stage process: a first-round document review followed by field evaluations. The city will conduct field evaluations Wednesday and Thursday, with the final results to be announced by the end of this month.

Districts that make the final cut will develop their nighttime destinations by December next year, tailoring each site to its local characteristics and conditions. The city will disburse funding in line with each district's development schedule. After completion, the city will analyze the project's impact — including visitor numbers, time spent on-site and changes in nearby business sales — and incorporate the findings into follow-up projects.

As part of its push to boost the nighttime economy — a key policy of the current city administration — Seoul earlier designated six "Seoul Moonlight Outdoor Dining" sites. To encourage spending at those locations, the city will begin selling 10 billion won worth of "Moonlight Gift Vouchers" through the Seoul Pay+ app starting at 10 a.m. Friday.

"We will extend Seoul's nighttime scene beyond the Han River and the city center into every corner of all 25 districts, and establish a virtuous cycle in which increased foot traffic brings vitality back to local businesses," said Kim Hyun-woo, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's economy bureau.