Travel
‘Seoul Light DDP’ illuminates summer nights with immersive media art at Dongdaemun
Haps Magazine Korea
July 22, 2025
(Image: Seoul Metropolitan Government)
After enchanting visitors in the fall and winter, the award-winning ‘Seoul Light DDP’ will now shine under the summer night sky for the first time.
The Seoul Design Foundation announced that the 2025 Summer Edition of the event will run from July 31 (Thursday) to August 10 (Sunday) at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and the surrounding Dongdaemun History & Culture Park.
This summer’s theme, “TIMESCAPE: Threads of Light,” explores the intersection of time, memory, and emotion through large-scale media art. Drawing inspiration from the Seoul City Wall and Igansumun Gate, the event will blend immersive visuals, historic landscapes, and cutting-edge technology to transform the area into a sensory experience of light and sound.
Expanding beyond DDP’s iconic 222-meter curved façade, this year’s installation makes full use of the newly developed water-themed space in the park, allowing for deeper audience interaction and exploration. A total of seven media art works and installations will be on display, inviting visitors to walk through illuminated zones, reflective pools, and fog-filled atmospheres.
Key attractions include ‘Light Drops’, which spans the park’s lawn with interactive media projections; ‘Fluid Memory’, a dynamic wall projection along the Seoul Fortress; and ‘Beam Trace’, a laser installation simulating the flow of time. An additional 180 water droplet-shaped lights will react to time and movement, creating a dazzling spectacle.
The water plaza, newly opened for this event, features kinetic fountains, cascading mist, and shaded rest areas. Highlights such as ‘Rhythm in Fog’ and ‘Into the Waves of Light’ bring a dreamlike dimension to summer evenings, combining lasers, water, and sound for an unforgettable experience.
The event kicks off on July 31 with a hanbok fashion show by Korean traditional brand Geumdanje and contemporary label O’our, fusing history and modernity in a media art-themed runway under the night sky. The opening show will also feature a live DJ set, contemporary dance, and collaborations with top artists and designers, including Lim Gio (jewelry), Vicky Jung (floral design), and Blacktoga (performance direction).
Previously held in colder seasons, Seoul Light DDP has now evolved into a seasonal cultural landmark, winning international acclaim, including the iF Design Award in February, completing a sweep of the world’s top three design awards (iF, Red Dot, IDEA).