K-Beauty by Day, Running at Sunset, Hip-Hop by Night: Experience the Seoul Lifestyle at DDP

152 K-beauty brands come together, with everything from beauty talks featuring Won Jung-yo and Kim Seupseup to the Seoul Beauty Forum.
Explore yoga wear curated by 29CM, then run around DDP with FILA, getting a taste of how Seoul enjoys fashion, wellness, and running.
As the sun sets, DDP transforms into an outdoor stage for hip-hop performances by GIRIBOY and lIlBOI, K-pop DJ sets, and random play dance.
92 fashion brands, food, and special offers in Dongdaemun extend the excitement from DDP into the surrounding commercial district.
Even without advance reservations, visitors can still enjoy K-beauty experiences, the fashion market, hip-hop performances, and more on-site.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, August 18, 2026 — Try the latest K-beauty products, pick out yoga wear and design books that catch your eye, then take a break before lacing up your running shoes for a sunset run around DDP. At night, enjoy hip-hop and K-pop performances in the outdoor plaza before heading
into Dongdaemun for shopping and food. All of this can be experienced in a single day, as the lifestyle of today’s Seoul comes to life at DDP.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host Beautiful Life in Seoul (BLS) from Saturday, August 22 to Tuesday, August 25 across DDP, bringing together in one place the ways people in Seoul dress, style themselves, relax, run, and have fun.

Centered on Seoul Beauty Week, BLS is a lifestyle festival that brings together fashion, design, wellness, entertainment, and more. A total of 14 programs will take place across 12 indoor and outdoor spaces at DDP, allowing visitors to choose from a range of experiences based on their interests
and schedules from day to night.
– The festival will give citizens and visitors the opportunity to experience different aspects of life in Seoul firsthand while providing participating companies with global business opportunities. It will also encourage visitors to explore the surrounding Dongdaemun area and spend at local
businesses, helping extend the festival’s economic benefits to the local community.

A day at BLS begins with K-beauty, one of Seoul’s most iconic offerings. Now in its fifth year, Seoul Beauty Week will bring together 152 brands across the beauty, medical, and wellness sectors, showcasing their latest products and technologies in one place. Visitors can try and purchase
products from participating brands while comparing the latest K-beauty trends.
– Global business programs for K-beauty will also take place. The Beauty Trade Show will invite buyers from 115 overseas companies and match them with Korean small and medium-sized beauty companies for export consultations. Seoul aims to surpass last year’s KRW 17.7 billion in export contracts
while actively supporting Korean beauty companies in expanding into global markets.

After exploring the products, visitors can try K-beauty for themselves. At Oullim Square, the K-Styling Experience will offer professional advice to help participants find the makeup and style that suit them best.

The inaugural Seoul Beauty Forum will explore the latest K-beauty trends and the future of the global beauty market. Highlights will include a K-beauty trend talk featuring idol makeup artist Won Jung-yo and beauty creator Kim Seupseup, as well as a keynote address by Joyce Lui of L’Oréal Korea.

After exploring K-beauty, visitors can make their way through DDP, where Design Lab, Gallery MUN, and other spaces will offer programs featuring fashion, books, wellness, and more.

[Fashion Exhibition] Design Lab will feature an immersive, theater-themed space dedicated to athleisure, where visitors can view a fashion exhibition and try and purchase products from seven yoga wear brands curated by 29CM.

[Book Fair] The DDP Design Book Fair will feature books and content from a variety of design fields. The program will include a book market featuring publishers such as Sakyejul Publishing and Borim Press, along with independent bookstores. Book talks will also allow visitors to explore books
and design and find what appeals to them.

[Wellness] Visitors looking for a break between programs can head to Gallery MUN, which will be set up as a relaxing space in the heart of the city. There, they can recharge with a cup of tea, meditation, and other wellness programs.

[Running] As the sun begins to set, BLS moves from DDP’s indoor spaces to the outdoors. During the festival, Igansumun Exhibition Hall will become a running hub for urban runners as part of a collaboration with FILA. Visitors can use AI to analyze their running form and get recommendations for
running music playlists based on their preferences.

In the evening, participants can also join professional running coaches for a run around DDP. After exploring beauty and fashion during the day, visitors can run through downtown Seoul at sunset and discover another side of BLS.

After dark, the atmosphere at DDP changes once again. At Oullim Square, the Summer SeoulCon Midsummer Night Hip-Hop Party will feature popular hip-hop artists including GIRIBOY and lIlBOI, as well as K-pop DJs ILLSUNG and JAESUNG. The program will include hip-hop performances and DJ sets.
– Summer SeoulCon will also feature talk concerts offering insights into what makes content successful. Producers from Knowledge Inside and BODA, both of which have received YouTube Gold Creator Awards, will discuss topics such as “How to Get Three Million People to Watch a ‘Boring’ Topic” and
“Planning Notes from a Producer Who Attracted Four Million Subscribers,” sharing their approaches to content planning and production.

Interactive programs will also include random play dance sessions with K-pop influencers. Rather than simply watching from the audience, visitors can join in and dance, becoming part of the summer night at DDP.

The final part of BLS will take visitors beyond DDP into the surrounding Dongdaemun commercial district. Rather than ending at DDP, the festival is designed to draw visitors into the wider Dongdaemun area and encourage spending at local businesses, helping support the local economy.

A large-scale fashion market connecting DDP with Dongdaemun will feature a total of 92 brands, including emerging designers and Dongdaemun merchants. Visitors will be able to shop for clothing, bags, socks, jewelry, and other fashion items at special prices. A food market featuring local
businesses and food trucks will also allow visitors to enjoy both shopping and food in one place.
– Products from 30 brands supported jointly by Seoul and MUSINSA will also be available at special prices through a special online promotion on MUSINSA during the festival. Visitors will be able to purchase products from brands they discover at the event online as well, helping turn on-site
interest into purchases.

A Beauty Super Pass linked to businesses in Dongdaemun will provide discounts at nearby beauty stores, while hotels in the area will offer information on shopping and places to eat in Dongdaemun. Together, these initiatives are designed to encourage visitors to continue their day beyond DDP with
shopping and food in Dongdaemun.

Advance reservations are currently underway for some programs with limited capacity, while several popular offerings, including forum sessions and running programs, have already filled up due to strong interest.

Even without advance reservations, there will still be plenty to enjoy at BLS. A variety of programs, including K-beauty exhibitions and experiences, the fashion market, book market, and hip-hop performances, will be available for walk-in participation. Visitors can check program times and
locations in advance and plan their own “day at BLS” based on their interests.

Detailed program schedules and participation details are available on the official event website at seoulbeautyweek.or.kr.

“This year’s inaugural Beautiful Life in Seoul has been designed to let visitors experience beauty, fashion, wellness, running, music, and other aspects of life in Seoul throughout DDP,” said Cho Hye-jung, Director-General of the Creative Industries Planning Bureau. “We hope citizens and
visitors will discover new sides of Seoul based on their own interests from day to night, and that the momentum generated at DDP will extend to the Dongdaemun area and participating companies as well.”

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