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Seoul unveils 2026 city color “Morning Yellow,” inspired by the city’s first light
Haps Magazine Korea
December 3, 2025
(Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Government/Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)
Seoul has selected “Morning Yellow” as its official 2026 city color, announcing that the warm, soft hue was drawn from the glow of the sunrise that begins the daily lives of Seoul residents.
Morning Yellow is the third official Seoul color following 2024’s Sky Coral and 2025’s Green Aurora. The city explained that this year’s selection reflects the public’s desire for calm daily routines, stability, and renewed energy in a year marked by rapid social and environmental changes.
To identify the new color, the city analyzed more than 3,000 sunrise photos uploaded by residents across social media, extracting color tones based on Korea’s national color standards. Morning Yellow aims to capture the clean, hopeful feeling of “starting an ordinary day without trouble.”
Beginning December 2, the color has illuminated major landmarks including Seoul City Hall, Namsan Seoul Tower, DDP, Lotte World Tower, World Cup Bridge, Gwanghwamun Square, Sejong Center, Sebitseom, and Seoul Botanic Park.
This year’s lighting installations feature a smooth transition from orange to yellow, designed to recreate the sensation of dawn spreading across the city.
Seoul is also expanding Morning Yellow into physical and digital products. Paint manufacturers such as Noroo Paint and KCC are preparing Seoul-color paint lines, while collaborations are underway to produce accessories and lifestyle items including hats, towels, eco-friendly trays, and plant pots. Additional clothing collaborations are expected.
Experts in design, lighting, and color participated in the advisory process, noting that Morning Yellow is both emotionally resonant and visually adaptable across digital and urban environments.