South Korea's tallest building Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul, is lit up in green aurora. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)
Inspired by the splendor of green hues of the trees as the streetlights shone in the city's avenues during summer nights, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it has chosen "green aurora" as the city's color for next year.
As the municipal government expands its color palette every year to roll out the city's identity for the coming year, officials explained that the new soft-tone color aims to offer comfort and support to citizens fatigued from their everyday lives.
The city government previously selected sky coral, a color derived from the pink sky during the sunset over the Han River, as its color for 2024.
Officials noted that they used AI and big data to analyze which key trends and issues took center stage in Seoulites' lives this year, which turned out to be tropical nights as the country logged the longest streak of such.
The green aurora color, which evokes a sense of tranquility and calmness in the bustling city life for many, was inspired by the leaves on the trees along five maple-lined paths in Seoul in August when the greenery was at its peak, according to officials.
Seoul's color for 2025 will make its first appearance Thursday afternoon at the city's major landmarks and canvass the capital city's night in green aurora until November next year.
The color will light up places such as the N Seoul Tower, Lotte World Tower, the World Cup Bridge, the New Haengju Bridge, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, the Seoul City Hall building, Sebitseom -- a floating island on the Hangang River, Seoul Botanic Park and the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.
The N Seoul Tower in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, is lit up in green aurora. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)
Meanwhile, the city government also plans to offer merchandise related to green aurora, allowing citizens to experience the unique color in their daily lives and make it more accessible.
The city government said it would collaborate with KCC Corporation, a manufacturer of construction materials, to produce a paint that reflects green aurora and a color book. Korean designer Lee Chung-chung's brand Lie will roll out green aurora-colored scarves and hats, while Remy-J -- a famous towel brand -- will offer a Christmas edition of sky coral and green aurora towels.
In addition, LG Chem will create an eco-friendly "soban," a traditional Korean small dining table, featuring the green aurora color by teaming up with furniture designer Ha Ji-hoon.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon noted that the city's color goes beyond aesthetic purposes.
"The color aims to enhance the value of urban design and improve the overall quality of life for the city's residents, as well as strengthen the city's urban competitiveness," he said in a press release.
"The color of Seoul in the future will become an icon that harmonizes nature, people and space and represents Seoul's forward-looking vision," Oh added.
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