Department stores in Korea go all out when it comes to Christmas decorations! In particular, Korea’s three major department store chains, Hyundai, Shinsegae, and Lotte, present grand-scale decorations every year that showcase their creativity. Set out to see some of Seoul’s most beautiful and romantic illuminations!

[The Hyundai Seoul] La Boutique d’Harry

#Summary
A large-scale Christmas village straight out of Europe.

#Introduction
Sounds Forest, the fifth floor of The Hyundai Seoul has been transformed into H Village, a Christmas street with small craft shops from some small town in Europe. The decorations are complete with an 11-meter-tall Christmas tree and over 6,000 lights. The theme of H Village is “La Boutique d’Harry,” a recreation of the shops where a grandpa was able to meet with his family once again in a dream after trying the macarons and mulled wine made by Baby Bear Harry. The 16 shops sell various Christmas themed items, such as Baby Bear Harry dolls, macarons, mulled wine, Christmas ornaments, notepads, postcards, mugs, music boxes, and more. The street is filled with the sound of carols, and the unique design of each shop is sure to impress.

#Reservations
H Village operates completely on an advanced reservation basis through Naver Forms for both Koreans and foreigners alike. Due to the limited number of people admitted at one time, the waitlist can be quite long. If you are unable to make a reservation for the day of your visit, you can still try and get on the on-site waitlist by scanning the QR code or asking the staff for a waiting card. However, if the waitlist becomes too long, it will close early. If you plan to visit when there will be many people such as weekends and around Christmas, we recommend arriving early in the morning.

# Tips for enjoying H Village
1. While waiting for your turn to enter, enjoy shopping at The Hyundai Seoul. The shopping mall is beautifully designed with natural touches. The mall is filled to the brim with modern and contemporary fashion brands, home living stores, character shops, and cosmetic stores, as well as restaurants selling tasty international cuisine.
2. The roof over Sounds Forest is completely glass. For a more romantic atmosphere for photos, be sure to visit after the sun sets, so you can see the twinkling Christmas lights.
3. If you don’t manage to get inside H Village, you can still look down over the entire area from the food court on the sixth floor.

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[Lotte Department Store Main Branch] My Dearest Wish

#Summary
A retro-style Christmas street with a giant tree.

#Introduction
Lotte Department Store Main Branch’s Christmas theme for this year is My Dearest Wish. The concept is based on the time-old tradition of sending seasonal greetings to dear friends through post. The content was designed with the assistance of novelist Chung Serang, the author of the novel that inspired the Netflix drama “The School Nurse Files (2020).” The first attractions to catch one’s eyes are the Letter House and Christmas Shop street displays that stretch 100 meters across the front of the main building, Avenuel and Young Plaza. Moving figurines in store windows, interactive media, and other fascinating storytelling tools create a fun Christmas atmosphere even before setting foot inside the store. The giant 15-meter-tall Christmas tree installed in front of the main entrance is the main photo spot. The cute animation style of Young Plaza’s media façade will warm the heart.

# Tips for enjoying My Dearest Wish
1. Stand in front of the Apple Store by Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station’s Exit 6 to capture all of Lotte Department Store in one frame.
2. Young Plaza’s media façade video lasts two minutes, and runs in a continual loop.
3. The department store is close to Myeong-dong, a popular shopping district.

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[Shinsegae Department Store Main Branch] MAGICAL WINTER FANTANSY

#Summary
Grand-scale media façade inviting you to a Christmas fantasy

#Introduction
Shinsegae Department Store is known for its large media façade. The 3.75 million LED lights installed on the outside of the building create amazing artworks, including this year’s Christmas decoration. Starting at 17:30 every evening, the building transforms into “SHINSEGAE THEATER: from legacy to fantasy,” a 3 minute-long Christmas-themed video that plays on repeat. Follow the golden deer, little soldier, and teddy bear as they set off on a journey to a Christmas world full of romance.

# Tips for enjoying SHINSEGAE THEATER: from legacy to fantasy
1. Shinsegae Department Store VMD(Visual Merchandiser)’s recommended photo spot is in front of Seoul Central Post Office (Hoehyeon Underground Shopping Center Exit 1). From here, you can see the whole show and the brightly lit fountain at once.
2. If you want to spend a long time watching the show, watch from the warm comfort of Starbucks – Central Post Office Branch.
3. The Gift Shop, a Christmas shop located within the department store, sells merry-go-round music boxes, ornaments, snow globes, and other items featured in the media show.
4. Sihyunhada, a photo studio loved my Korea’s youth, is opening a pop-up booth at Grand Market on B4 floor of Shinsegae Department Store Main Branch, near Gate 4. A special Magical Winter Fantasy frame is available for a limited time in celebration of the holiday season. (Photo prices: Basic 2x6 5,000 won, Special 4x6 6,000 won / Pop-up store period: November 17, 2023 – January 17, 2024)

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* This content was last updated in November 2023, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise you to check for updates before visiting.