This Week in Seoul: 26 October – 1 November 2026

Autumn turns sharp this week. Monday opens mild at 19 °C, then a cold front shoves highs down to 11 °C by Wednesday with overnight lows near 3 °C. Thursday and Friday carry a 40 % rain chance before a dry, cold weekend settles in at 8 °C. The headline event is Jeongdong Yahaeng (정동야행), the free night-walk festival around Deoksugung on Friday and Saturday. Wednesday is also Culture Day, which opens up museum doors across the city. If you only pick one evening, make it Friday around Deoksugung with a warm jacket.

What's the weather in Seoul this week?

No fine-dust reading was issued in this week's brief.

Forecast: MET Norway, issued 2026-10-25 14:19 KST. Check again before you go.

What should I wear?

Weekday commute: a proper winter coat from Tuesday onward. Mornings sit at 3–5 °C.

Weekend outdoors: Saturday and Sunday top out at 8 °C with lows of 2–3 °C. Add a scarf and gloves if you're standing still outside.

Wet days: Thursday and Friday both carry a 40 % rain chance. Carry a compact umbrella and don't trust a thin jacket on Thursday — the high is only 11 °C.

What's free in Seoul this week?

• 2026 Jeongdong Yahaeng (2026 정동야행) — Fri 30 Oct 18:00–22:00, Sat 31 Oct 14:00–22:00 — around Deoksugung, Jung-gu — Free, some workshops paid — The annual night walk through the Jeongdong palace quarter. — Details
• Dongjak Bread Festival (2026 동작 빵도동 축제) — Sat 31 Oct, 12:00–17:00 — Noryangjin Soccer Field (688 Nodeul-ro, Dongjak-gu) — Free — A one-day neighbourhood bakery festival in Dongjak. — Details
• Poetry on the Seoul Subway (2026 시 읽는 서울지하철) — Sun 1 Nov, 12:00–14:00 — Line 2 loop, 51.4 km and 50 stations in 87 minutes, hub stations City Hall, Sangwangsimni, Gangbyeon, Yeoksam, Seoul National University, Mullae, Sinchon — Free — Riders read poems around the full Line 2 circle. — Details
• Sumbisori, Song of the Haenyeo (숨비소리, 해녀들의 노래) — Mon 26 Oct – Mon 2 Nov, 13:00 and 16:00 — Seoripul Art Studio — Free — A one-person AI immersive music theatre piece following a haenyeo mother's prayers and the breath of the sea. — Details
• Myeongwon Matinee: Autumn (명원 마티네 가을) — Tue 27 Oct, 12:00–13:00 — Myeongwon Museum, Seonggokheon permanent exhibition hall — Free — A lunchtime programme in the Teagarden Festival series. — Details
• IMPRINTS OF TIME (IMPRINTS OF TIME) — Wed 28 Oct – Sat 31 Oct, 12:00–19:00 — Gallery Jiha — Free — A short-run exhibition in the basement gallery. — Details
• Seoul Phil Museum Concert (2026 서울시향 뮤지엄 콘서트) — Wed 28 Oct, 12:00–13:00 and 19:00–20:00 (different programmes) — Seoul Baekje Museum lobby, Mongchontoseong station (line 8) exit 1 — Free — Two short concerts by the Seoul Philharmonic inside the museum lobby. — Details
• Kim Jin-su: His Story, His Song (김진수의 이야기, 그의 노래) — Thu 29 Oct 19:30, Sat 31 Oct 16:00 — Art Center Rim Art Hall — Free (regular seat price ₩50,000, open seating) — Composer Kim Jin-su performs his own songs and tells the stories behind them. — Details

What does a student ID or ARC get me this week?

• Seoul free guided walking tours — 40+ routes led by volunteer guides in seven languages, free — Needs: anyone; booking required — Details
• Culture Day (문화가 있는 날) — Every Wednesday since 1 April 2026, participating museums, galleries, theatres and sports venues run free or discounted entry, mostly in the evening — Needs: anyone; discounts vary by venue — Cinemas only join on the second and last Wednesday of the month: ₩10,000 tickets 17:00–21:00. — Details
• National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관) — Permanent collection free every day; open until 21:00 on Wednesday and Saturday — Needs: anyone — Details

Which festivals and concerts are on?

• M Classic Festival: Jeon Su-jin's Pianism (제11회 M 클래식 축제 [전수진의 피아니즘]) — Tue 27 Oct, 19:30 — Mapo Art Center PlayMAC — ₩20,000, all seats — A solo piano recital in the Mapo festival series. — Details
• Seoripul Jazz Festa: Golden October (2026 서리풀 재즈페스타 [Golden October]) — Wed 28 Oct, 19:30 — Banpo Simsan Art Hall — R ₩20,000, S ₩15,000 — One night of the Seocho district's autumn jazz programme. — Details
• MAC Morning Concert #8 (M 마티네 [2026 MAC 모닝 콘서트 ＃8]) — Wed 28 Oct, 11:00 — Mapo Art Center Art Hall MAC — ₩20,000, all seats — A late-morning concert from the Mapo matinee series. — Details
• Seoul Oratorio 88th Concert: Mendelssohn's Elijah (서울오라토리오 제88회 정기연주회 - 멘델스존 「엘리야」) — Wed 28 Oct, 19:30 — Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall — R ₩120,000 / S ₩90,000 / A ₩60,000 / B ₩30,000 — A full performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah oratorio. — Details
• Between Light and Emptiness (빛과 여백사이 ENTRE… lumiere & vide) — Wed 28 Oct, 19:30–21:10 — Ilshin Hall — ₩30,000, all seats, students 30 % off — A chamber concert at Ilshin Hall. — Details

What's happening at the river, parks and malls?

• Baeknyeon Night October: WICKED (2026 백년나이트 10월 : WICKED) — Fri 30 Oct – Sat 31 Oct, 16:00–21:00 — Baeknyeon Market area, Gangbuk-gu — Free, food and some items sold separately — A Halloween-themed evening in the historic Baeknyeon Market. — Details
• Five Northern Provinces People's Harmony Festival (2026 이북5도민어울림한마당축제) — Sun 1 Nov, 13:00–18:00 — Seokgye Culture Park — Free — Pre-show at 13:00, opening ceremony 14:30, main programme 15:00–18:00, with folk dance from the Pyongyang Snow Arts Troupe, invited singers, Kyrgyz and Uzbek dance, and audience programmes. — Details
• Dream Forest Matinee: Belle Époque Art & Music #3 (꿈의숲 마티네 콘서트 [벨에포크 아트&뮤직] 시리즈3) — Wed 28 Oct, 11:00 — North Seoul Dream Forest, Sangsang Toktok Art Museum — ₩15,000, all seats — A mid-morning concert in the Dream Forest series. — Details
• Libitum Orchestra 5th Concert: Mozart & Mendelssohn (리비툼 오케스트라 제5회 정기연주회) — Sun 1 Nov, 17:00–19:00 — North Seoul Dream Forest Arts Center Concert Hall — Free — Part 1: Mozart's La clemenza di Tito overture and Violin Concerto No. 4. Part 2: Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4. — Details
• Uijeongbuji Traditional Martial Arts Event (2026 의정부지 역사유적광장 전통무예행사) — Sat 11 Apr – Sat 31 Oct — Uijeongbuji Historic Plaza (의정부지 역사유적광장) — Free — The season closes this Saturday; opening-day times were 11:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:00. — Details

This guide comes out every Sunday.

Rooms opening soon at Shared Homies

If you're moving to Seoul for the next semester, these rooms in our share houses open up soon. No key money.

• MUAK2 · Kickback · Large — move in from 30 December, near Hongjae (Line 3)
• MUAK1 · Hideout · Medium1 — move in from 31 December, near Muakjae (Line 3)
• MUAK1 · Hideout · Medium2 — move in from 31 December, near Muakjae (Line 3)
• MUAK2 · Kickback · Medium2 — move in from 15 January, near Hongjae (Line 3)

Arrive between 20 November and 15 January and stay through August, and one month is 25% off.