K-pop and traditional performances heat up Seoul Winter Festa on Christmas
Published: 25 Dec. 2025, 18:43
Updated: 25 Dec. 2025, 19:20
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- CHO JUNG-WOO
- [email protected]
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Wellboss Crew from the minor division performs during the K-Performance Contest held at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/25/27cf7b0a-0b03-4040-b387-824104d45b8c.jpg)
Wellboss Crew from the minor division performs during the K-Performance Contest held at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]
From traditional Korean music to K-pop, electric and energetic performances warmed up Seoul City Hall on a bitterly cold Christmas Day.
The usually hushed lobby of the City Hall building in central Seoul was transformed into a packed concert hall as dancers took the stage for the final round of the K-Performance Contest, held as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s annual Winter Festa.
“It was such a good atmosphere, especially on Christmas, seeing so many families and others coming together to watch the performances,” said Rebecca Hannam, a tourist from Australia who has been backpacking in Korea for a month.
She said she decided to stop by with a friend after visiting the nearby Seoul Plaza ice skating rink.
“It was beautiful to see the integration,” she said. “There was traditional music but also pop elements. I loved seeing how history and modern culture worked together so harmoniously.”
Twelve teams competed in the final round on Thursday: six from the general division and six from the minor division. The finalists were selected from 40 teams that applied and competed in the preliminary rounds.
![African Dance Company Tagg from the general division performs during the K-Performance Contest held at the City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/25/f8ef480e-e777-45c2-b3e4-f67383312e2f.jpg)
African Dance Company Tagg from the general division performs during the K-Performance Contest held at the City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]
The competition, originally scheduled to take place at Gwanghwamun Square, was moved indoors to City Hall at the last minute because of strong winds.
But the change in venue did little to dampen the energy.
Shouts and gasps filled the indoor space as performers delivered tightly coordinated routines. At one point, a cheerleader from Apeiron, a cheerleading team at Gachon University, was tossed high into the air and completed a flawless turn, soaring close enough to the ceiling to draw nervous laughter from the crowd.
Team Asrua, a taekwondo demonstration group, shattered pine boards with precise kicks and punches while dressed in Santa costumes. Heeye delivered a charismatic blend of geommu (a traditional sword dance) and bamboo cutting.
![Apeiron, a cheerleading team at Gachon University, performs during the K-Performance Contest held at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/25/e27c5832-34f7-4ff6-87c9-c1ea7dd21b01.jpg)
Apeiron, a cheerleading team at Gachon University, performs during the K-Performance Contest held at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]
Most of the teams built their performances around storylines that wove traditional dance and music with modern elements. Traditional costumes and accessories such as the gat, a traditional Korean men's hat, flowed across the stage, along with bold colors like red and blue, symbolizing the Taegeuk mark.
After the performances, three judges, including Song Hyeong-jong, the head of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, along with two choreographers, evaluated the contestants and selected the winners.
Every team left with an award and a cash prize, from grand prize to gold, silver and bronze, though only one team in each division claimed the top honor.
In the general division, African Dance Company Tagg took the grand prize with a performance set to Afro-Arirang (Korean folk song). The group had won the team division at World of Dance Korea last year.
The top prize in the minor division went to Welboss Crew, whose tightly synchronized routine evoked Korean spirit through the sweeping red and blue fabric that rippled across the stage as they performed.
The grand prize winners received 4 million won ($2,770) in the general division and 2 million won in the minor division, along with an invitation to perform at the New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony on Wednesday, the final night of the year.
![Chaeum from the general division performs during the K-Performance Contest held at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/25/43071279-0f13-43ba-8bef-4cb93f76399a.jpg)
Chaeum from the general division performs during the K-Performance Contest held at City Hall in central Seoul on Dec. 25. [CHO JUNG-WOO]
The K-performance contest was one of several attractions at the Seoul Winter Festa.
The festival, which began on Dec. 12 and runs through Jan. 4, features annual attractions such as the Gwanghwamun Market and the lantern festival that runs in and along Cheonggyecheon. This year, special additional programs include the Winter Sleeping Contest on Saturday and a silent K-pop dance party on Sunday, both set to take place at City Hall.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, over 4.87 million people have already visited or taken part in Winter Festa programs this year, from Dec. 12 through Sunday.
BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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