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Life's better on blades: Seoul Plaza ice rink opens — in pictures

Published: 20 Dec. 2024, 17:40

KIM JEE-HEE
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Visitors to the Seoul Plaza ice rink in Jung District, central Seoul, enjoy ice skating on Friday, the opening day. [NEWS1]

The ice rink at Seoul Plaza, located in central Seoul, reopened on Friday with free admission available exclusively on its opening day.

This year, the admission fee for a one-hour skating session — which includes skate and helmet rentals — remains at 1,000 won (70 cents), unchanged since the rink's debut in 2004.

On opening day, the rink operates during the following hours: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., an opening ceremony will take place, featuring remarks by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and special performances.

International visitors holding the Discover Seoul Pass — a travel pass exclusively for foreigners that offers discounts to various attractions across the city — will receive one complimentary ticket to the ice rink per pass. However, as each session is limited to 300 participants, pass holders may need to wait for the next available session if the current one is fully booked.

The rink’s regular hours are 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Sunday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and public holidays. Sessions are scheduled hourly, with 30-minute breaks for cleaning. On Christmas and New Year’s Eve, operating hours will be extended until 12:30 a.m.

Here are some pictures of skaters in downtown Seoul on Friday, enjoying the winter season to the fullest.