Halloween in Seoul is a super exciting time of year for Koreans and foreigners. It’s an opportunity to dress up in Korean Halloween costumes, party with friends, and enjoy a Halloween parade in Korea
In this guide, you’ll learn how to celebrate Halloween in Korea. It includes places to buy a Halloween costume in Korea, Halloween events in Korea, and where to find a Halloween party in Seoul.
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Does Korea celebrate Halloween?
Do they celebrate halloween in Korea? Halloween in South Korea is mostly celebrated in Seoul. In recent years, Koreans have warmed up to throwing Halloween parties for their children at school or private academies. You’ll typically find a lot of Halloween decor at Seoul cafes and haunted houses at school festivals.
What To Expect During Halloween in Korea
The younger generation in Korea embraces Western traditions so expect a lot of Halloween fun! The Halloween season in Korea is short and once October 31st hits, many Starbucks are already on the Christmas menu.
For my friends coming from the United States, Halloween isn’t the traditional holiday you’ll see back home. It isn’t such a big deal and you won’t see kids trick-or-treating in masses.
Itaewon Halloween Disaster in Seoul
When I lived in Korea, I would attend Halloween-themed events in Itaewon. The area is an expat-friendly district that was an amazing place to show off your costume and party with friends on Halloween weekend.
Sadly, on the Saturday night of October 29, 2022, many young Koreans and foreign nationals lost their lives in the Itaewon crush. During this event, a huge Halloween party crowd started a stampede which resulted in 159 deaths.
This news deeply saddened me. I have many fond memories of the Halloween celebrations and costume parties on this narrow street. Unfortunately, I am not surprised by the news.
The Halloween festivities in Itaewon are a complete and utter shit show every single year. It gets so crowded in that narrow alley that everyone is shoulder to shoulder. You can barely move, let alone breathe.
The South Korean government investigated the cause of the crowd crush and found a lack of regulatory issues and effective crowd control steps.
Below is a video from my TikTok filmed in 2019 showing you exactly what it looks like.
We will always remember the Itaewon tragedy…
Due to the many deaths caused by the crowd surge and the sensitivity of this issue, I highly recommend you stay out of Itaewon on Halloween. Please respect those fallen during one of the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities. You will most likely see the bereaved families of the victims laying down flowers and pictures.
This Korean Halloween accident could have been avoided had police officers even cared to set up guidelines. And honestly, I’m pissed off about the continuing lack of accountability over the disaster.
Hey, President Yoon Suk Yeol, you need to do better for South Koreans and the young people and conduct an independent investigation into the cause of the crush!
The Seoul Metropolitan Government needs to take extreme precautions so everyone stays safe.
I still have ties to South Korea and will always have a soft spot for the Land of the Morning Calm and its people. This year, for Dia de los Muertos, I will be putting a candle on my ofrenda to remember the 159 young adults whose lives were tragically cut short.
Where to Find A Halloween Costume Korea
If you’re looking for Halloween costumes in Korea, then the following stores sell them for children and some adult sizes. Be aware they usually stock the smaller sizes because they are catering to a Korean audience. I usually had an easy DIY Halloween costume in Korea.
Korean Halloween Costumes online | Coupang, Gmarket, Amazon, Ebay
If you’re in Korea, the fastest ways to get your Halloween costume is through Coupand or GMarket… If you fit in Korean sizes.
I usually bought bits and pieces of my costumes off Amazon and Ebay. But here’s your Halloween treat… Ebay actually has cheaper Halloween costumes and free shipping. You’re welcome.
Joy Party 조이파티
If you don’t feel like DIYing your Halloween costume, Joy Party has a pretty big selection of Halloween merchandise. They also have a huge selection of masks and spooky decorations. You’ll definitely find a great Korean Halloween costume.
Address: 191 Itaewon-ro, Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Hours: 10am – 10pm
Party House
This store offers balloons, face painting supplies, party supplies, and seasonal decorations plus costumes.
Address: 27, Dosan-daero 25-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Hours: 10:30am – 10pm
Party N Deco 파티앤데코
This store has a huge selection of masks, wigs, and other costume necessities. They not only carry Halloween stuff, but also party supplies you would normally not find anywhere else.
Address: 56, Bangbae-ro 13-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
Hours: 9:30am- 10pm (Closed on Sundays)
Where To Buy Korean Halloween Decorations
Does South Korea celebrate Halloween? Oh yes. But not in the way you expect. You will find lots of places now selling Halloween decor in Seoul.
Daiso
Since spooky season has become more popular, Daiso has been getting a larger selection of Halloween decorations. They have lights, autumn leaves, pumpkins, and wall decorations to bring Halloween into your home.
Daiso also carries basic cat ears, vampire capes (and sometimes fangs), devil horns, and pitchforks. If you’re looking for a last minute costume, it’s good to know where you can find something.
P.S. I couldn’t dare to part with my Halloween Daiso decorations so I shipped them over to America and proudly display them in my Austin apartment.
Flying Tiger Copenhagen
This is one of my favorite stores for all the strange and weird useful useless things. They always have quirky seasonal Halloween decorations and trinkets. It’s definitely a fun place to go shopping for Halloween party supplies.
Halloween in Korea Events 2024
If you’re looking for a great Halloween festival in South Korea, I’ve got you covered. The best places to see them are at amusement parks.
Everland Blood City 8: With Netflix
Is Halloween celebrated in Korea at theme parks? Everland is the largest theme park so it makes sense they would throw the largest Halloween event in Korea.
Every year, they put on the Everland Blood City which transforms part of the park into a zombie play land. Enter, if you dare. 😉 They also offer rides like the Haunted T-Express and a haunted house.
Date: September 6, 2024 – November 17, 2024
Lotte World Adventure | ENHYPHEN Dark Moon World
Every year Lotte World Adventure puts on a spectacular Halloween event! They have a Halloween parade for the kids where it is a very cute and family friendly event.
This year, they’re transforming the park into an Enhyphen Webtoon. Their castle will be lit with spooky colors and you can even visit Decelis Academy photo zones.
Date: September 17, 2024 – November 17, 2024
Daegu E-World | Virus Z Dead or Alive
If you’re in Daegu, Beebee and friends are bringing it at Daegu E-World. They have the Halloween-themed photo spots, a Darkness House, Monster Race, Horror Powder Room, and Zombie Bartender for your chance to be scared out of your wits.
Date: September 7, 2024 – November 3, 2024
Seouland | Christmas in October
Apparently, Octobermas at Seouland is a thing this year during spooky season in Korea. If that’s not your vibe and you wanna just skip straight to Christmas, then this is for you!
Date: October 1, 2024 – October 31, 2024
Dark Side of Seoul
If you’re looking to dig into the gritty and bloody history of the back streets of Seoul, you definitely need to join this tour. You’ll learn about the ghosts that haunt the streets and urban legends.
If you’re lucky, you might even pick up on some ghost activity. Get your tickets to the Dark Side of Seoul tour here.
Also, if you wanna know more about spooky parts of Korea, check out my post on The Most Haunted Places in Korea here.
Date: Yearround
Escape from Psycho Circus
Escape From Pycho Circus is a super cool EDM festival where performers dress up as ghoulish creatures from horror movies. I’m talking grunge, spikes, chains, and everything that goes bump in the night.
I took a look at the website and they will not be returning to Korea in 2024.
Zombie Run in Seoul
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to run away from zombies or what the apocalypse would look like, then this is a great way for you to experience it. You get three lives and if you lose them, then you become one of the undead.
Korean Folk Village in Yongin
Korea always has to do their own spin on things and this haunted attracted at the Yongin Korean Folk Village is no different. Koreans are great at building suspense and putting on a great horror show.
When night falls, the performers dress up as scary creatures from Korean urban legends. Get your tickets to the Korean Folk Village here.
Date: September 14, 2024 – November 10, 2024
Witch’s Kitchen
Definitely not a seasonal restaurant because it’s there all year, but to get into the spooky thrill of things, you should go and eat at Witch’s Kitchen. They have several locations all throughout Seoul. The most popular being in Hongdae. They’re most famous for their IV drink bags. The food there is to DIE for. 😉
Address: 서울 마포구 와우산로21길 36-10
Hours: 12pm – 10:30pm
Yongma Land Seoul
A great place for that Korea haunted house vibe is Yongma Land. This is an abandoned amusement park that was given new life as a photographer’s haven. It’s a great place to take Halloween pictures in Korea.
Address: 118 Mangu-ro 70-gil, Jungnang-gu, Seoul
Hours: 10am – 6pm
Where To Find a Seoul Halloween Party
Below you’ll find some of my favorite Halloween events in Korea.
Seoul International Halloween Party
Looking to get lit during the week? No problem!
This party will be held from 10pm to 3am and is mostly for the university students, but all ages are welcome. Meet new people, make new friends, and get hella spooky!
Get your tickets to the Seoul International Halloween party here.
Date: October 31, 2024
Halloween Cruise Bash
Hosted by Good Time ROK, this is the original Halloween Cruise bash where you can dress up as your favorite character and party along the river for 4 hours. There will be cash prizes for the best costume and free entry to one of their partnered clubs.
Date: October 26, 2024
Cost: 70,000 won
Haunted Factory Party
Located in Gangnam and hosted by Global Seoulmates, you definitely don’t want to miss this fun party. Your ticket includes entrance into the venue, unlimited drinks during happy hour, and free entry to after clubs. There’s even a costume contest with prizes awarded.
I took a look online and they will not be returning for the party this year in 2024. Let’s hope we see them again in 2025!
Date: TBA 2025
Seoul Pub Crawl
Every year, Seoul Pub Crawl hosts an event in honor of Halloween. You can choose between Hongdae or Itaewon.
All bars and clubs you will be going to are Halloween themed so you can get into the spirit of things. It’s a great way to drunkenly walk around Seoul with some good friends in your Halloween costumes. Get your tickets to the Halloween Seoul Pub Crawl here.
Where To Eat Halloween Food in Seoul
Starbucks
Every year Starbucks comes out with so many Halloween and monster inspired foods. It’s the one thing I look forward to in Korea!
FAQ For Halloween in Korea
1. Do people trick-or-treat in Korea?
Trick-or-treating is mostly done for children in apartment complexes, at their schools, or at private academies. Halloween is celebrated on the American military bases
2. How to say Happy Halloween in Korean?
Easy! If you’re wondering how to say Happy Halloween in Korean, it is: 해피 할로윈!
3. How to say Halloween costume in Korean?
You can say 할로윈 복장. If you’re interested in learning Korean, get your free hangul cheat sheet here and learn the Korean alphabet in one afternoon.
4. Where can I find pumpkins in Korea?
In Korea, there is such a thing as sweet pumpkin 단호박 that is good for making pumpkin puree for PSL, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pie. You can buy the crust on Coupang. You can’t get the big orange pumpkins here unless you have a friend on base.
5. When is Halloween in Korea?
Halloween in Korea is celebrated on October 31, 2024. Since it falls on a Thursday, most of the celebrations will take place during the previous weekend.
6. Are there any South Korean Halloween traditions?
Honestly, not that I am aware of. Since Halloween is an imported holiday, it depends on the person. For some people, it’s just another day. For others it’s a family event where they have friends and family over for a mini Halloween party.
I hope I’ve answered your burning questions on, “do Koreans celebrate Halloween?” Is halloween celebrated in Korea? Yes. It is but it is mostly celebrated in Seoul or in big cities like Daegu and Busan.
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