Maybe wear hanbok to a jazz club?

Tucked into Nakwon Sangga, one of the country’s largest instrument-focused shopping complexes, EDLS offers live jazz within a distinctly contemporary environment.

Located in central Seoul and right in front of Jongno 3-ga Station on Subway Line No. 5, the venue is easily reachable via multiple transportation options. Its spacious interior is also designed to accommodate a sizable audience. Guests enter with a 15,000 won cover charge — drink order required — and are seated for high-quality live jazz, with performances rotating nightly.

EDLS also positions itself as a hybrid cultural venue. A complimentary photo booth operates on-site, alongside a retail corner showcasing the venue's signature fragrances and apparel, including T-shirts. The interior further doubles as a gallery of sorts, with artwork depicting artists such as G-Dragon lining the walls.

The venue operates from 5 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Sunday. This year, the space is also marking Valentine’s Day with a limited deal available via reservation through Naver or Catchtable. Visitors attending with parents are offered sparkling wine, while those booking in advance can opt for a fixed dinner set, priced at 170,000 won, featuring handmade desserts and fajitas.

EDLS

428 Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul

An event celebrating the spirit of the Lunar New Year takes place this weekend at Jeongdong 1928 Art Center, near Gwanghwamun, Seoul, inviting visitors to rediscover hanbok not as museum pieces, but as living garments.

“Wear the New Year” runs Friday to Sunday and is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ahead of Seollal, or Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 17.

On each day of the three-day event, up to 50 hanbok will be handed to visitors free of charge, encouraging people to take traditional clothing back into everyday life.

The event operates from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the hanbok exchange, workshops will teach participants how to repair long-neglected hanbok stored in their closets and create matching accessories, offering practical skills alongside cultural engagement.

A photo exhibition will also be on display, featuring selected entries from a hanbok photo-and-story contest open until Jan. 27. The exhibition documents personal memories tied to hanbok and aims to highlight its cultural and archival value. It also hopes to encourage more people to wear hanbok as part of daily life rather than only on special occasions.

Jeongdong 1928 Art Center,

130 Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul