Korea’s Cities Race to Build Their Own Times Squares
October 16, 2025 by guest author, John Berkovich
South Korea’s skyline is entering a new era of light. Cities across the country are competing to build “Korean Times Squares” — large-scale digital districts designed to fuse culture, commerce, and technology through immersive LED media. As reported by The Korea Times and covered by invidis in its article “DooH: New Times Squares for South Korea,” the approval for three new zones was granted in 2023, and since then, the first screens have already been installed.
The shift began in Seoul’s Gangnam district: in 2016, the government designated the COEX area as the country’s first “free outdoor advertising zone.” Over time, 20 massive LED screens — such as Samsung’s 3D Coex Wave and LG’s panoramic tower display — have come to dominate the district, earning comparisons to New York’s Times Square and London’s Piccadilly Circus.
Samsungs Coex Wave Screen in Seoul (Foto: invidis)
Encouraged by that early success, the Ministry of Interior and Safety approved three additional free advertising zones in 2023: Myeong-dong Tourist District, Gwanghwamun Plaza, and Haeundae Beach in Busan. These sites will allow up to 20 digital billboards each, free of charge, under newly relaxed regulations that remove long-standing restrictions on display size, color, and placement.
“Local governments and property owners have shown strong interest in being designated as free advertising zones,” said Park Hee-geon, head of the ministry’s Address and Spatial Information Division. “We plan to review the results of the first and second phases and draw up a third-round plan soon.”
Officials say the policy aims to transform urban spaces into global landmarks while giving Korea’s LED industry new economic momentum.
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- Seoul’s Gangnam district (Image: invidis)
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- Seoul’s Gangnam district (Image: invidis)
Gangnam’s “Eyes of Seoul” district now features synchronized digital façades surrounding the Coex complex, while Myeong-dong’s new Shinsegae Department Store screen – spanning more than 1,200 square meters (approximately 13,000 square feet) – has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Near Gwanghwamun, LEDs atop the KT headquarters and Kyobo Life building create a second digital cluster visible from City Hall.
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- Samsung LED at Shinsegae Department Store (Image: invidis)
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- Samsung LED at Shinsegae Department Store (Image: invidis)
Farther south, Busan’s Haeundae beachfront has joined the race with a 766-square-meter (8,245 square feet) display on the Grand Josun Hotel, with 14 more media poles planned for early 2026. Daegu, though not yet a Free Zone, is seeking its own “special outdoor advertising district” to expand its digital presence downtown.
Korea’s outdoor advertising spending is projected to reach US$710 million this year. Still, critics warn of visual clutter and the risk of crowding out smaller local businesses. For now, though, city after city is eager to light up, which is signaling a new phase in South Korea’s urban identity, one LED screen at a time.
Certains quartiers de Paris auraient véritablement besoin d’un nouveau « Times Square », Place de Clichy, Place Blanche, Beaugrenelle…. En espérant que les prochaines élections municipales de mars 2026 puissent modifier la législation quant à l’installation de grands dispositifs numériques.
Cordialement