Golden Week Seoul 2026: How Seoul Is Welcoming Japanese Tourists

Golden Week Seoul travel in 2026 is being shaped directly around Japanese tourists, with city hospitality programs, national tourism promotion, and retail campaigns all timed to the holiday window. Seoul Metropolitan Government will operate “2026 Seoul Welcome Week” from May 1 to 8, 2026, at major visitor hubs including Myeongdong and Yeouido, during the overlap of Japan’s Golden Week and China’s Labor Day holiday.¹

For anyone planning a Seoul trip from Japan, the key point is simple: the city and major tourism businesses are preparing for a busier, more visitor-focused early May period. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are also targeting Golden Week travel demand, and Japanese arrivals to Korea reached 940,000 in the first quarter of 2026, up 20% from the same period a year earlier. The forecast for Japanese visitors during Golden Week is 80,000 to 90,000.²

Seoul Welcome Week Focuses On Golden Week Visitors

Seoul’s official program is the clearest sign that Japanese tourists are a priority for this holiday period. “2026 Seoul Welcome Week” is scheduled for May 1 to 8, 2026, and will take place at key points in the city, including Myeongdong and Yeouido.¹ The program is designed for foreign tourists arriving during the combined Japanese Golden Week and Chinese Labor Day travel period.

The city’s planned welcome measures include an AI smart guide, customized experiences, K-beauty programs, and promotional activity connecting airports with central Seoul.¹ That matters because the campaign is not only about one attraction or one shopping street. It is framed as a citywide welcome effort, starting from the airport and extending into central visitor areas.

The national tourism push adds another layer. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are promoting travel to Korea before the May holiday period, with Japanese Golden Week demand named as a target. Minister Choi Hwi-young said the government would “make good use of the opportunity of Japan’s Golden Week and China’s Labor Day to maintain the growth trend in inbound tourism.”²

Promotion toward Japanese travelers also began before the holiday itself. From April 9 to 30, 2026, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization held a “K-Tourism Roadshow” in Osaka, Tokyo, and Fukuoka.³ Newspublished reporting cited about 3.65 million Japanese visitors to Korea in the previous year, the highest figure on record, and a 14.8% year-on-year increase in Japanese arrivals through February 2026.³

Shopping Benefits Around Seoul During Golden Week

Shopping is another major part of the Golden Week Seoul picture. Musinsa is working with ZOZO, the operator of Japanese fashion e-commerce platform ZOZOTOWN, on an offline store visit campaign from April 29 to May 10, 2026. The campaign will run at 15 stores nationwide with high Japanese customer purchase rates, including stores in Hongdae, Myeongdong, and Seongsu. ZOZOTOWN members will receive purchase discounts and point benefits.⁴

Department stores and retailers are also expanding foreign-customer benefits during the early May holiday period. Lotte Department Store is running shopping events for foreign customers around the Labor Day holiday and the Chinese and Japanese Golden Week periods. At its main store and Jamsil branch, customers paying with UnionPay from May 1 to 6, 2026, can receive a 10% instant discount and an additional tax refund benefit.⁵

Park Sang-woo, head of Lotte Department Store’s marketing division, said the company had “further strengthened benefits optimized for instant refunds and various payment methods.”⁵ The useful takeaway for travelers is that payment method and location may matter. The source-backed promotion specifically names UnionPay, the main store, and the Jamsil branch.

Other retail activity is also tied to the same visitor season. Sports Chosun reported that from late April to early May 2026, Japan’s Golden Week and the Chinese and Taiwanese Labor Day holidays overlap, concentrating foreign tourist shopping demand around Seoul. Lotte Mart prepared discount coupons and vouchers connected with Konest and Lotte City Hotel Gimpo Airport, while Galleria Department Store’s Luxury Hall in Seoul prepared a global promotion for foreign customers.⁶

FAQ For Japanese Visitors Planning Golden Week Seoul

When is Seoul Welcome Week in 2026?

“2026 Seoul Welcome Week” is scheduled from May 1 to 8, 2026. Seoul Metropolitan Government named Myeongdong and Yeouido among the major hubs for the program, which is aimed at foreign tourists during the Golden Week and Labor Day holiday overlap.¹

How many Japanese tourists are expected during Golden Week?

The available forecast is 80,000 to 90,000 Japanese visitors during the Golden Week period. That estimate comes after 940,000 Japanese arrivals to Korea in the first quarter of 2026, a 20% increase from the same period a year earlier.²

Are there Seoul shopping promotions for Japanese visitors?

Yes, several source-backed campaigns are timed to the holiday period. Musinsa and ZOZO are running an offline store visit campaign from April 29 to May 10, 2026, including stores in Hongdae, Myeongdong, and Seongsu.⁴ Lotte Department Store is also offering foreign customer benefits at selected branches from May 1 to 6, 2026.⁵

Golden Week Seoul in 2026 is not just a general travel phrase; it describes a specific visitor moment when Seoul city programs, national tourism promotion, and retail campaigns are all being aligned around Japanese tourists. If you are visiting during this period, the most reliable facts to plan around are the May 1 to 8 Seoul Welcome Week dates, the expected rise in Japanese arrivals, and the shopping benefits tied to named stores, branches, and payment conditions.

작성자 소개

Cloi Lee

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