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The 2025 Christmas Eve event and plans for 2026
Merry Hanbit Christmas took place around Hanbit Tower in EXPO Science Park on December 24, 2025, from 17:00 to 20:30. December 24 is also the planned 2026 date, but the new visitor programme, hours and participation arrangements are still to come.
The dated material below helps you decide whether to reserve an evening in Daejeon. The word Christmas does not imply a market and shows every day throughout December. Nor should a Christmas-Eve listing automatically be extended to Christmas Day.
A physical tree and a tower-sized media tree
The 2025 event included a large tree, media façade, carol performances and a market. The December 23–25, 2023 edition featured a 6-metre physical tree, an illuminated Kkumdori photo zone and an oversized media Christmas tree on Hanbit Tower itself. Six metres is the 2023 tree height, not a measurement to carry forward into 2025 or 2026.
The appeal lies in these two scales: close-up tree and character photographs, plus images projected onto the landmark above you. Photographing only the smaller tree misses the location’s distinctive setting; looking only at the tower misses the more intimate market atmosphere.
| Year or layer | Seasonal features and timing | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | December 23–25;6 m tree, Kkumdori, media tree and market | The same size or experiences in 2026 |
| 2025 | December 24, 17:00–20:30;tree, media façade, carols, market | An extension to December 25 or the whole month |
| 2026 | Procurement planned for December 24 | A finalized programme, fees or light-show timetable |
| Ordinary park | Address, parking and visitor restrictions | All indoor facilities opening late for the event |
Market, music and family activities
The 2025 event included carols and a market; look at the seasonal timetable for a particular performance rather than expecting a show on every hour. In 2023 there were Christmas-goods stalls, food trucks, local performers, kite-making and a heated rest space. They illustrate the past format, not a list of guaranteed 2026 facilities.
On arrival, locate the tree and stage, read the actual programme, then browse. Before joining a children’s activity, ask about start times, capacity and charges. Avoid carrying hot drinks into the tightest photo queue. Anyone needing a full dinner should keep a separate restaurant plan rather than relying on unannounced traders.
Hanbit Tower’s address and the last mile
The destination is 480 Daedeok-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon: 대전 유성구 대덕대로480／엑스포과학공원 한빛탑. The 93-metre tower is a landmark of the 1993 Daejeon Expo. Show a taxi driver 한빛탑 plus the address, rather than simply saying EXPO.
Daejeon railway station is an intercity arrival point, not the event entrance. Allow a city-bus or taxi connection. When using buses, route to the tower or park, then inspect the walk from the actual stop. Save the return destination with our Korean navigation guide. EXPO Citizens’ Plaza and Hanbit Tower are not interchangeable map pins; follow the edition’s event map.
Parking, indoor hours and outdoor rules
As of October 2026, ordinary park parking rules allow 30 minutes free, then 500 won per 15 minutes, capped at 10,000 won per day. Payment is by card, not cash. Those are ordinary charges, not a guarantee of available spaces or unchanged access during an event.Park visitor guide
Ordinary exhibition hours and an evening Christmas programme are different schedules. A festival ending at 20:30 does not mean every gallery or viewing facility stays open that late. General park rules also prohibit ordinary pets, bicycles, scooters and tents. Check before bringing an animal or picnic equipment intended as a queueing shelter.
Reserve one Daejeon evening, not an imaginary month-long programme
On a confirmed event date, use the day for city sightseeing, eat something before the coldest part of the evening and then head to the tower plaza. The Daejeon two-day itinerary helps separate daytime and evening plans. If leaving by rail afterward, our KTX booking and luggage guide covers the general process, but verify your own Daejeon stop and departure time.
Count the walk to and from transport as part of your outdoor exposure. Warm clothes and gloves are often more useful than carrying a large tripod for one picture. Preserve phone power and data for getting home; see the Korea connectivity guide. Make the reserved time a firm itinerary only after the 2026 visitor map, programme, charges and weather arrangements appear.
FAQ
Is a 17:00 start confirmed for December 24, 2026?
No. The 2026 procurement gives a planned date. 17:00–20:30 belongs to the 2025 visitor calendar and must not be carried forward.
Is the six-metre tree this year’s design?
No. Six metres was the 2023 tree height. The 2025 event had a large tree, but that does not establish the same measurement; the 2026 design is still to come.
Is this the same as Yurim Park’s Christmas festival?
No. Merry Hanbit is at Hanbit Tower in EXPO Science Park. The other Yuseong event’s 2026 recruitment identifies Yurim Park’s east plaza.