European embassies bring holiday cheer to Seoul with Christmas market

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European embassies bring holiday cheer to Seoul with Christmas market

Published: 07 Dec. 2025, 16:37 Updated: 07 Dec. 2025, 23:15

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Two women pose for a photograph with a man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit at the European Market in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on Dec. 7. [MICHAEL LEE]

For university student Kim Min-seok, the European Market that took place this past weekend was more than an outing — it was a window into how his friends from across the world celebrate the holiday season.

“My exchange student classmates from Finland wanted to come, so I joined them,” Kim said on Saturday, standing near a glowing Christmas tree while sipping a steaming cup of gluhwein, or German mulled wine. “I love Christmas, but I’ve never been to a Christmas market in Europe. The music, the decorations — everything feels festive. I want to come back with my family.”

Kim had already visited the market’s Polish and German booths, curious about what people actually eat in Europe during the holidays. At the Poland stand, cooks filled plates with pierogi dumplings and potato pancakes, while rows of sausages at Germany’s booth seared on the grill, ready to be dipped into currywurst sauce.

This year’s market, which took place just outside the Seongbuk District Office in central Seoul rather than its usual location near Hanseong University Station, brought together holiday traditions from 15 countries. For two brisk December days, booths shaped like red and white Christmas hats offered visitors everything from traditional gingerbread cookies to Italian tiramisu.

For longtime attendees like Mitch Craig, a patron from Scotland who has spent most of his adult life in Korea, the market is a comforting anchor of the holiday season.

A slice of apple tart and szegedin goulash stew from the Austrian booth at the European Market in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on Dec. 6 [MICHAEL LEE]

“I’ve been coming for about 10 years,” he said as he drank his first gluhwein of the season. “Past markets next to Hanseong University Station felt a bit packed. This one feels more open and easier to move around.”

Craig is planning to fly home soon with his Korean girlfriend, where he hopes to visit the big Christmas markets in Glasgow and Edinburgh. But having lived in Korea for the past decade, the European Market is the “yearly fixture” of his holiday season.

“Whenever December comes around, I’m on the lookout for this market,” he said.

The European Market began 14 years ago and has grown steadily ever since. According to Ok Seol, who leads the Seongbuk District Office’s external relations division, the festival relocated to its new spot this year precisely because it had become too successful for its former home by Hanseong University Station.

A long line of people wait to buy gluhwein, or German mulled wine, at the European Market in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on Dec. 6. [MICHAEL LEE]

“Over the years, the market added more booths and drew larger crowds, leading to safety concerns,” she explained. “We wanted a bigger space so more visitors could enjoy the event comfortably.”

The market is organized by the Seongbuk Global Village Center, a hub that supports foreign residents living in the district. Word travels through embassy networks, expatriate social media groups and community circles, Ok said. The Seongbuk District Office also participates in promoting its signature local winter attraction.

Two more embassies set up booths at this year’s market, bringing the total number of countries represented to 15. According to Ok, some booths are operated directly by embassies, while others outsource operations to catering companies.

In the spirit of the holidays, the embassies donate 10 percent of all proceeds from sales to multicultural families in Korea.

“We want it to be a place where Korean and foreign communities can come together to celebrate the holidays,” she added.

A woman folds warm pancakes filled with blueberry compote at the Bulgarian booth of the European Market in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on Dec. 6. [MICHAEL LEE]

That blending of cultures could be seen and tasted everywhere. Visitors drifted from the Austrian booth, where warm szegedin goulash stew and apple tart tempted passersby, to the Hungarian stand serving classic cream and Nutella-filled langos, or deep-fried flatbread.

That’s where one patron, Park Jang-eun, placed her lunch order.

“I searched online for Christmas events and found this event through a blog,” the 29-year-old office worker said while holding her cream langos. “It’s my first time trying Hungarian and Greek food. It’s all very new and delicious.”

Like Kim, Park has never been to Europe, but for one afternoon, she was eating like she had crossed continents.

“It feels nice to celebrate the end of the year like this,” she said.

The European Market isn’t only about sampling different national dishes, though that certainly seems to be the main draw. The Finnish booth displayed neat lines of Fiskars scissors beside Osmia fragrances, while the French booth’s impressive array of pastries competed for attention with Slovak trdlo, sugarcoated spiral bread rolled hot off the spit. At the Lithuanian booth, an artist painted delicate watercolor miniature portraits, capturing couples and children in winter scarves.

Nearby, the aroma of Bulgarian blueberry compote-filled pancakes filled the air, while the Slovenian booth drew steady crowds with its stefani pecenka — a meatloaf carved and plated beside fries — and seto, a festive drink of wine, eggs and sugar.

From left: Ojakhuri, a dish of cooked pork and potatoes, khinkali soup dumplings and kupati sausages are almost ready to be served to patrons at the Georgian booth of the European Market in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on Dec. 6. [MICHAEL LEE]

Not every country leaned into sweets. At the Georgian booth, cooks served khinkali soup dumplings and ojakhuri, a dish of cooked pork and potatoes seasoned richly for cold weather, illustrating just how varied the continent’s winter cuisine can be.

For many expatriates who miss home during the holidays, these smells and flavors are powerful.

“Christmas markets are more of a northern European thing, but I’m glad they’ve made their way to other countries,” observed Chris Mackenzie, a patron from Ireland who visited the market on Saturday with his wife and young daughter.

While noting that there were fewer stands selling mulled wine compared to last year’s market, Mackenzie said he had little reason to complain.

Singers perform on stage at the European Market in Seongbuk District, central Seoul, on Dec. 6. [MICHAEL LEE]

“My daughter got very excited seeing the tree and the snowman. It’s been a good time.”

Even the rain that fell later in the afternoon didn’t seem to deter people from taking full advantage of all the market had to offer, including posing for photos next to a man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit and listening to performers on stage. Conversations in Korean, English, French and other languages could be heard all over the market, while Christmas carols rang across the square through loudspeakers.

Kim said the European Market “more than exceeded” his expectations.

“I usually celebrate — like making a Christmas tree or a snowman,” he said. “But here, with all the food and decorations, it feels more real.”

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]