Seoul picks 10 night markets to remake neighborhood evenings

Seoul selected 10 commercial districts for its 2026 Moonlight Night Market program, a new effort to turn neighborhood food and culture into evening destinations. The city said the program is the first major implementation of Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s strategy to expand Seoul’s nighttime economy. It plans to grow the program to 25 locations by 2028 and offer up to 2 billion won per district for upgrades and promotion.

The 10 selected districts include Garosu-gil in Gangnam District, Suyu Station in Gangbuk District, and Konkuk University area in Gwangjin District.

Other selected areas are around Chang-dong Station in Dobong District, Songhae-gil in Jongno District, and Sangbong Food Street in Jungnang District.

The city said funding will support pedestrian routes, lighting, security cameras, restrooms, waste facilities, signage and landscape upgrades.

Published Sep 15, 2026 3:07 pm KST

Updated Sep 15, 2026 3:22 pm KST

A mountain lodge in Ui-dong near Suyu Station in Gangbuk District / Korea Times file

Seoul is betting that its neighborhoods can keep people out after dark, selecting 10 commercial districts for a new night market program designed to turn local food and culture into evening destinations.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that 10 districts had been selected for its 2026 Moonlight Night Market program, the first major implementation of Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s strategy to expand Seoul’s nighttime economy.

The program will connect neighborhood restaurants, cultural resources and tourism attractions, creating outdoor dining areas and nighttime streetscapes intended to draw both residents and visitors.

The 10 selected districts include the Garosu-gil area in Gangnam District, Suyu Station in Gangbuk District, Sadang Orak Moonlight Night Market in Gwanak District, the area around Konkuk University in Gwangjin District and International Food Culture Street in Guro District.

They also include the area around Chang-dong Station in Dobong District, Sadang 1-dong Food Street in Dongjak District, Songhae-gil in Jongno District, Sinjungang Market in Jung District and Sangbong Food Street in Jungnang District.

The city said it plans to expand Moonlight Night Markets to 25 locations by 2028, providing up to 2 billion won ($1.46 million) per commercial district.

Funding will support improvements to pedestrian routes, lighting, security cameras, restrooms and waste facilities, along with signage and landscape upgrades.

The city will also develop food, cultural and tourism programs tailored to each district and create a shared Moonlight Night Market brand for online and offline promotion.

To limit disruptions for nearby residents, merchants and residents will sign agreements covering operating areas, closing times, noise, odors and cleanliness, while joint committees will handle complaints and other conflicts.

The city said it has also completed an administrative notice for guidelines governing outdoor businesses using roads and will introduce additional rules for outdoor food-service operations.

Oh Se-hoon, Seoul’s mayor, said the city would develop distinctive night markets in neighborhoods and make Seoul’s evenings richer destinations for people from around the world.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

首尔市政府选定了10个商业区，作为其2026年“月光夜市”计划的试点区域。该计划旨在将社区美食和文化打造为夜间热门去处。市政府表示，该计划是市长吴世勋拓展首尔夜间经济战略的首个重要举措。市政府计划到2028年将试点区域扩展至25个，并为每个区域提供高达20亿韩元的资金用于升级改造和推广。

选定的 10 个地区包括江南区的林荫道、江北区的水裕站和广津区的建国大学地区。

其他选定区域包括道峰区昌洞站附近、钟路区松海路附近以及中浪区上峰美食街附近。

市政府表示，资金将用于改善人行道、照明、安全摄像头、洗手间、垃圾处理设施、标牌和景观美化。

发布于2026年9月15日下午3:07（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月15日下午3:22（韩国标准时间）

位于江北区水柳站附近义洞的山间小屋 / 韩国时报档案照片

首尔市政府认为，其社区能够在天黑后吸引人们外出，因此选定了 10 个商业区开展新的夜市计划，旨在将当地美食和文化变成夜间目的地。

首尔市政府周一表示，已选定 10 个区参与其 2026 年“月光夜市”计划，这是市长吴世勋扩大首尔夜间经济战略的首次重大实施。

该计划将连接社区餐厅、文化资源和旅游景点，打造户外用餐区和夜间街景，旨在吸引居民和游客。

选定的 10 个地区包括江南区的林荫道地区、江北区的水裕站、冠岳区的沙堂奥拉克月光夜市、广津区的建国大学周边地区以及九老区的国际美食文化街。

它们还包括道峰区昌洞站附近地区、铜雀区沙堂1洞美食街、钟路区松海路、中区新中央江市场和中浪区上峰美食街。

该市表示，计划到 2028 年将月光夜市扩展到 25 个地点，每个商业区最多可获得 20 亿韩元（146 万美元）的资金。

资金将用于改善行人路线、照明、安全摄像头、洗手间和垃圾处理设施，以及标牌和景观升级。

该市还将制定适合各区的食品、文化和旅游项目，并打造一个共享的“月光夜市”品牌，用于线上线下推广。

为了减少对附近居民的干扰，商家和居民将签署协议，涵盖经营区域、关门时间、噪音、气味和清洁等方面，同时成立联合委员会处理投诉和其他冲突。

该市表示，已完成对使用道路的户外企业进行管理的行政通知，并将出台针对户外餐饮服务经营的额外规定。

首尔市长吴世勋表示，首尔将在各个街区发展特色夜市，使首尔的夜晚成为世界各地人们更加丰富多彩的去处。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。