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Starfield Library Christmas Tree 2026: Nov 13 Start, Free Entry

Checked against 8 Korean sources on Nov 6, 2026 Published: Nov 5, 2026

The short answer: the library starts Nov 13, the Hyundai store is open now

Samseong (삼성) in Gangnam (강남) gets two big Christmas trees side by side each winter. Starfield Library (별마당도서관) inside COEX Mall (코엑스몰) runs its display Nov 13, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027. The Hyundai Department Store Trade Center branch (현대백화점 무역센터점) right next door has been decorated since Oct 27 and keeps it up until Dec 31.

Both are free with no booking. They suit anyone in Seoul from Nov 13 who wants a big tree indoors. If you leave by Nov 12, plan on the Hyundai store only, because the library is still being set up.

What foreign visitors should know

Neither place uses timed tickets or app reservations, so you can walk in without a Korean phone number. That is the big difference from The Hyundai Seoul (더현대 서울) in Yeouido, whose "H Village" needs an advance booking; its first round opened Nov 5 at 11:00 on the 더현대 Hi app. If you want to skip the booking hassle, the Trade Center branch is the easier pick.

Watch the closing time. The department store shuts in the 20:00 hour even on weekends, and the indoor displays on the 10th, 7th and 3rd floors are only open during store hours. The library stays open to 22:00, so do the Hyundai store first, then the library.

Starfield Library 2026: "Dokkaebi Santa"

This year's theme is "도깨비 산타와 크리스마스" (Dokkaebi Santa and Christmas), with the English line "Five More Minutes of Christmas." The display is built around a story by Lee Mi-ye (이미예), author of the bestselling Korean novel "달러구트 꿈 백화점" (The Dallergut Dream Department Store), and will fill the whole library.

As of early November only a teaser poster is out, so the tree's size and colors are not known yet. The poster shows a large clock and a design that looks like a book cover.

For reference: what 2025 looked like

Last season (Nov 13, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026) was themed "A Christmas festival unfolding from a book." A roughly 10m paper tree stood between the shelves, with model carousel and Ferris wheel props and a giant snow globe you could step inside for photos. The carousel and Ferris wheel were decorations, not rides. Whether similar props return in 2026 has not been announced.

Crowds and photo tips

There is no line to get in, but Korean bloggers report crowds even on weekday afternoons, with plenty of foreign tourists. Popular photo spots have their own queues; in 2025 staff managed the line at the snow globe.

For the full scene, one blogger recommends riding the escalator up and shooting down. Right under the tree it is too big to frame with a person, so step back until the bookshelves on both sides are in the shot.

Hyundai Trade Center: "Christmas in New York City"

The theme recreates New York streets of the 1980s and 90s. In the story, Harry, the bear cub who has fronted Hyundai's Christmas displays for years, struggles to deliver presents, and New York's alley cats quietly help him.

Main entrance: 13m tree and the cat taxi

A 13m tree stands on the front plaza, with a yellow checker cab full of cats parked in front. The store's outer wall is covered with paintings of red-brick buildings and fire escapes.

After dark the lights on the tree glow purple, blue and orange, so dusk lets you see it both ways. Being outdoors, there is no set queue like on the 10th floor, which also means people cluster everywhere and it can feel a bit hectic.

10th floor EP.1: the 6m cat (longest line)

The main photo zone is EP.1 (에피원), a lounge on the 10th floor. A 6m cat sculpture rests its front paws on the hood of a yellow taxi stacked with gifts.

This is where the longest line forms. One Korean blogger who arrived about 45 minutes before closing on a weekend says the wait was short. If you go late, head to the 10th floor first, then work your way down through the 7th, 3rd and ground floors.

7th and 3rd floors

The 7th floor is set up like a New York subway car, and every prop newspaper is about cats, so sitting down to "read" one is the classic pose. The 3rd floor takes its look from Broadway's theater district, and next to the escalator there is a cat-run street stall with moving paws and tails.

Getting there: Samseong Station Exit 5

Take Line 2 to Samseong Station, use Exit 5 into COEX Mall and follow the "별마당도서관" signs. First-timers say the Billy Angel (빌리엔젤) and Arabica Coffee (아라비카 커피) cafes make good landmarks.

The Hyundai store also connects directly to Samseong Station at the B1 level, so you can move between the two without going outside.

With an evening in Samseong, work down from the Hyundai store's 10th floor before it closes, then walk over to the library, which stays open until 22:00. If your trip falls before the library display starts, the Hyundai store alone is worth the stop.

日本語: ピョルマダン図書館クリスマス2026｜11/13開始・現代百貨店の13mツリーも