A promotional poster for Seoul’s Beautiful Life in Seoul at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun, Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Dongdaemun Design Plaza is set to become a showcase of Seoul’s increasingly global lifestyle, moving visitors from K-beauty and fashion in the afternoon to running and hip-hop after dark
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it will host Beautiful Life in Seoul from Aug. 22 to 25 at DDP. The festival brings together 14 interactive programs across 12 indoor and outdoor spaces, combining the fifth annual Seoul Beauty Week with fashion, design, wellness and entertainment. By offering a hands-on taste of how locals live, city officials aim to connect event-driven foot traffic directly with businesses in the surrounding Dongdaemun district
The daytime agenda centers on Korea’s booming cosmetics and self-care industries
Seoul Beauty Week will feature roughly 152 brands spanning skin care, medical aesthetic technology and wellness. Alongside public product showcases, an international trade show will match 115 overseas buyers from 48 countries with local companies for export consultations. Visitors can also participate in personalized styling sessions, attend beauty talks with makeup artist Won Jung-yo and creator Kim Seup-seup or hear a keynote address by L’Oréal Korea executive Joyce Lwe
Inside DDP’s Design Lab, an immersive athleisure exhibition features yoga lines curated by online retailer 29CM, while the DDP Design Book Fair hosts independent publishers. Those seeking respite can drop by Gallery Moon for tea ceremonies and meditation sessions
in the evening, the festival will move outdoors
In partnership with sportswear brand FILA, an interactive center will offer runners artificial intelligence-powered posture analysis and customized playlists, followed by guided group runs through nearby streets. At night, DDP’s central plaza will turn into an open-air concert arena featuring hip-hop artists Giriboy, lIlBOI, Giwon and Marv, along with live DJ sets, content-creation talk shows and random-play dance events
To ensure the festival’s economic impact reaches beyond DDP, a major street market will host 92 fashion brands alongside local food vendors, complemented by a regional discount pass for neighboring shops
“Beautiful Life in Seoul was designed so that residents and tourists alike can directly experience the diverse lifestyle trends Seoulites enjoy — from beauty and fashion to wellness, running and music,” said Cho Hye-jung, director general of creative industry planning for Seoul. “We hope visitors can discover new sides of Seoul tailored to their personal tastes from day to night, and that the energy generated at DDP spreads to local businesses in Dongdaemun.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times
