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Media art celebrates Christmas, Korean traditions at Gangnam's Winter Festa

Published: 22 Dec. 2025, 19:05

People watch digital signages display a Christmas-themed video featuring the city mascot, Hechi, during the 2025 Gangnam Media Winter Festa near Samseong Station in southern Seoul on Dec. 22. [WOO SANG-JO]

A Christmas-themed media art festival transformed the area around Samseong Station in southern Seoul on Monday, as the city’s mascot, Hechi, appeared across large digital screens to greet visitors.

The mascot took on a Rudolph-like appearance on a stretch of digital signage near Exit 5 of Samseong Station in Gangnam District, appearing across 17 large screens as part of a four-minute video titled “Hechi’s Gift of Light.” In the show, Hechi illuminates the surroundings alongside Santa Claus, turning the busy transit hub into a festive display.

2025 Gangnam Media Winter Festival to light up WTC Seoul

Passersby, including foreign tourists, paused to watch, lifting smartphones to capture photos and videos.

Nearby, a 7.5-meter-tall (24.6-feet-tall) Christmas tree and the “Winter Stage” — a white hanok, or traditional Korean house, resembling a structure built from snow — added to the seasonal atmosphere.

“This feels like the place with the strongest year-end vibe,” said Jeong Hyo-eun, who visited the area. “I plan to come back with friends on Christmas Eve.”

The display is part of the 2025 Gangnam Media Winter Festa, a large-scale media art festival being held around Samseong Station through Jan. 3, 2026, according to the Gangnam District Office.

The festival, which kicked off on Friday, makes extensive use of digital signage with screens employing light-emitting diode (LED) and similar technologies, often referred to as the “fourth medium,” alongside smartphones. A lighting ceremony took place at 6 p.m. Monday, illuminating the festival area.

This year’s festival marks the first major event since the district rebranded the outdoor advertising free-display zone near Coex in Samseong-dong as Gangnam Eyes, an effort aimed at drawing global attention. Immersive media art shows are presented across three buildings in the area, including Hyundai Department Store and the Parnas Hotel.

The festival’s core concept, “Wonderwall,” draws inspiration from the linear forms of fortress walls and stone fences that once marked the entrances to Seoul’s historic city. The idea is to reinterpret those traditional structures through light and digital media in a contemporary urban setting.

People pass by the 2025 Gangnam Media Winter Festa near Samseong Station in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Friday. The winter media art festival runs through Jan. 3. [YONHAP]

“Hechi’s Gift of Light” will be screened through Thursday, Christmas Day, 14 times daily. Beginning Friday and running through Jan. 3, it will be replaced by a New Year-themed show titled “Play Fantasy 2026.” The two-minute video tells the story of a baby Fire Horse, the horoscope symbol for 2026.

Visitors can also take part in a range of interactive activities. Through a QR code, they can submit Christmas wishes that appear on an LED screen known as the "Memory Wall." Other attractions include the "Visual Wall," where lights respond to viewers’ movements, as well as the "Lucky QR," which offers New Year calligraphy cards, and a stamp tour that allows participants to collect stamps around the venue to complete a tree illustration.

“This year’s Winter Festa brings together Gangnam’s urban setting and its media infrastructure to offer a new media art experience that both residents and visitors can enjoy,” an official from Gangnam Eyes said. “By expanding seasonal content and operating media art shows, we aim to develop Gangnam Eyes into a cultural landmark in the heart of the city.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-WOOK [[email protected]]