ITAEWON ()
If this is your first Halloween in South Korea, you may be wondering what this haunted American holiday is like in the Peninsula.
Although Halloween is not a traditional Korean holiday, it has quickly become a popular event to celebrate here, but it is a little different than how it is celebrated in Western culture.
For instance, off base you won’t find pumpkin patches, decorated haunted houses, nor trick-or-treaters knocking on your door for candy. You will instead see a combination of horror, fun costumes and sweets around this time in Korea.
This year, some of the fun activities for spooky season are back, so check out my favorite top three spots for an unforgettable Halloween in Korea!
3. LOTTE WORLD: ZOMBIE ISLAND
Lotte World, an amusement park near Jamsil Station in Seoul, has the great advantage of being easily accessible by subway. Head to Lotte World for their Halloween activities happening now involving a zombie invasion. The Magic Castle is covered in blood and hungry zombies roam the park while you can enjoy the scary experiences like Zombie Subway, Zombie Prison and some stage performances like Zombie vs. the Iron Squad, Control Zone and Zombie Attack. And for the little ones, Lotte World, has less-scary events including trick-or-treating, Lotty’s Halloween Party Parade and Halloween Cutie Party.
Photos by Lotte World
Recommended Spots
• Zombie Subway (additional 3,000 won/about $2.10) & Zombie Prison (additional 5,000 won/about $3.50): available for 14 years old or up
• Halloween Cutie Party (additional 20,000 won/about $14): Treat or trick event for children
• Control Zone & Zombie Attack
• Lotty’s Halloween Party Parade
• Photo times with Giant Zombies
Visit Lotte World
• Dates: Through Nov. 13
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Mon-Thu) / 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Fri-Sat)
• Address: 240 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Line 2, Jamsil Station gate 4)
• Tickets: 62,000 won (about $43) for one-day adult pass for adult; discount tickets available on Klook.
• Discounts: 20 percent discount for U.S. military with proof of ID.
• Website
2. EVERLAND: BLOOD CITY
Everland is in Yongin and is Korea’s largest theme park. For Halloween, the park is hosting Blood City, a dystopian train station overrun by terrifying zombies. You can also enjoy musical performances such as Crazy Zombie Hunt. More excitingly, there is a horror walk-through attraction called Horror Maze, where you team up with a four to six people to try to escape while under attack by zombies and ghosts.
Everland is also the perfect place for families with children to visit for Halloween. They prepared a variety of events focused only on children, including Halloween Infinite Garden with endless marigolds, Spooky 199, a little train to escape Blood City, Halloween Wicked Parade, and a Sweet and Brutal Trick or Treat party.
Photos by Everland
Recommended Spots
• Horror Maze (additional 10,000 won/about $7): available for 14 years old and up, book through Everland phone app only.
• T-Express 199 rollercoaster
• Photo times with Giant Zombies
• Crazy Zombie Hunt
• Halloween Wicked Parade
• Ghost Mansion
Visit Everland
• Halloween Event Date: Through Nov. 20
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Mon-Thu) / 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Fri-Sat)
• Address: 199 Everland-ro, Pogog-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Tickets: 62,000 won for one-day adult pass; discount tickets available on Klook.
• Website
1. ITAEWON
If you’re searching online for Halloween events in Korea, the majority of the results will lead you to Itaewon. This district in Seoul is known for its large foreigner population, so it makes sense that as an international hotspot there would be some of the most popular Halloween parties. Head to Itaewon on the weekend closest to Oct. 31 and enjoy watching the costumes and fun in the streets. During the Halloween weekend, people play instruments, sing and dance together on the streets all night long. Everyone on the streets plays pranks on each other, takes pictures, and hangs out together as if they are already friends. It’ll be a unique experience you can have only in Itaewon on Halloween and you absolutely have to check it out!
Halloween in Itaewon
• Dates: Oct. 28 - Oct. 29
• Location: near Itaewon Station in Seoul
As a writer, I picked Itaewon as the number 1 top spot to go on Halloween. But please keep in mind that the area gets easily crowded so be cautious.
In South Korea, you can purchase alcohol 24 hours a day, so practice good judgment when heading out to places like Itaewon where there might be people consuming alcohol to excess. Also, remember that the trains stop running after 11 p.m., and getting a taxi might be difficult in the area around then. So, make alternative transportation plans if you plan to head to the area to celebrate Halloween. Below are some tips to ensure you have a fun, safe time in Itaewon for Halloween.
Tips.
1. Booking a place to stay nearby
If you’ll be in Itaewon for Halloween, getting a hotel room is probably the best option. Even though most hotels are probably already fully booked by now, if you’re lucky, you might still be able to find one. Check hotel apps or Airbnb for vacancies nearby.
2. Grab a group of friends to share a taxi
In Korea, the red sign on the taxi means it’s available and green sign means it’s reserved. On Halloween nights, you’ll find taxies with only green signs because taxi drivers are waiting for people who will negotiate a better price. Unfortunately, no taxi driver in Itaewon wants to get a passenger who pays them only a regular price on the busiest day of the year. If you have Korean friends, they will be helpful in getting you a cab and splitting the cost. Just practice caution because the crowds near the taxi stops tend to get a little rowdy and fights are known to break out while others are waiting to see if they can get a cab.
3. Pulling an all-nighter
One option you’ll see many try is to stay out all night until the next morning when the trains reopen. I don’t recommend this, but if you plan to do this, please be careful and don’t do it alone.
