Why Did Seoul Choose Morning Yellow for 2026?
For Seoul’s citizens, 2025 was a year shaped by digital fatigue, social uncertainty, and unexpected weather, with long rainy days and autumn monsoons. So after carefully analyzing 3,000 real-life images of Seoul’s morning sun shared online, and surveying 1,416 locals about their hopes for the new year, the Korea Standard Color Association (KSCA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government officially announced Morning Yellow as the city’s representative color for 2026.
Seoul’s Official Colors Through the Years
This marks the third annual color selected for Seoul — following 2024’s Sky Coral, inspired by the sunset reflecting off the Han River and 2025’s Green Aurora, inspired by the sight of summer trees at night. And of course, Morning Yellow carries just as much meaning, representing the citizens’ collective desire for “vitality” and “inner stability.”
Therefore, this shade of yellow is perfectly curated to reflect what locals are longing for: new beginnings, finding strength to face the challenges of the daily routines and the peace that comes from simply looking up at the clear morning sky. It’s a moment that might seem small, but that can be an incredible source of comfort and groundiness during hectic days.
Experience Seoul’s Morning Yellow on a Healing Tour
For us, this announcement makes the upcoming 2026 tour season even more exciting, as these intentions and wishes couldn’t be more aligned with what we hope our international guests experience during our Healing Tours. And the fact that several iconic locations already glowing in Morning Yellow like Namsan Tower, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), and Gwanghwamun Square are also important stops in our Seoul itineraries makes it all extra special.
South Korea is already set to deliver loads of surprises to those visiting in 2026, and if you’re one of them, we can’t wait to see you there too!
