Year-End Party in Seoul: Songnyeonhoe Norms, Timing and Venues

A Korean year-end party, the songnyeonhoe (송년회, "seeing off the year"), is a December gathering where a company thanks its people, recognises the year's work and shares a meal. For a foreign company in Seoul, three decisions shape it: a date clear of the Christmas and New Year holidays, a format that works for Korean and international staff alike, and a venue sized for the people who will actually attend. If you're booking in November, flexibility on day and format is what widens your venue choice.

If you're running the Korean office's year-end event from a regional or global headquarters, this guide covers the norms your local team will expect and the venues that suit different sizes.

What a songnyeonhoe is, and what Korean staff expect

A songnyeonhoe is a company or team event, not a public party. It usually has a short formal part followed by a meal and a more relaxed second half.

• A word from leadership. The most senior person present usually opens with thanks for the year. Keep it short and, for a mixed team, give it in both languages or with a summary on screen.
• A toast. Expect at least one geonbae (toast), often led by a senior executive. Agree in advance who gives it.
• Recognition. Team or individual awards, long-service mentions or a short video of the year are common ways to fill the programme.
• A lucky draw. Prize draws are a familiar part of Korean corporate events. Decide early who buys, wraps and hands over prizes.
• The second round. Some teams continue to a second venue (2-cha) after dinner. Decide whether the company hosts or pays for it, so it isn't decided on the night.

Seniority shapes the room — seating, speaking order and who pours for whom. Our guide to Korean business etiquette for corporate events explains the conventions in more detail.

A practical note on drinking: build the programme around the meal and the recognition, not around alcohol. Offer good non-alcoholic options and publish a clear end time.

Timing: which December 2026 dates work

December is the peak month for year-end banquets in Seoul, and demand concentrates on Thursday and Friday evenings in the first three weeks.

• Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, is a public holiday, according to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute calendar data. New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is also a holiday (2027 calendar data).
• The week of 21 December is short. Check your team's leave plans before you fix a date that week.
• Weekday alternatives. Monday to Wednesday evenings and weekday lunches are easier to secure and often suit teams with long commutes.
• Lunch or afternoon formats suit teams with many non-drinkers or with staff who travel in from outside Seoul.

If clients or partners are invited. When your guest list includes public officials, staff of public-service organisations, school staff or media employees, Korea's Improper Solicitation and Graft Act applies to what they can accept. The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission explains who is covered; the Act sets value limits on meals and gifts, so check the current limits with the ACRC before you set the menu and the gift bag.

Formats that work for mixed Korean and international teams

Choose the format by headcount and by how much you want people to mix.

• Seated dinner with a programme. The default for 100 guests or more. It gives the speeches, awards and draw a natural place.
• Standing reception. Shorter and easier for mixing; suits smaller offices or a client-facing event.
• Korean cultural dinner. A traditional setting and a set Korean menu give overseas colleagues something specific to Seoul.
• Experience-led evening. A river cruise or an immersive art space works when the team has done the ballroom dinner before.

For a bilingual group, decide early whether the programme runs in Korean, English or both, and plan screen text and MC scripts to match.

Seoul venues that suit a year-end party

These venues come from our Seoul venue database. Capacities are maximums for the main space; actual numbers depend on layout and format.

For 200 guests and more

• Sono Felice Convention — a pillar-free convention venue built into the City Airport Terminal in Gangnam, with large media walls and room for up to 1,000 guests; year-end galas are among the formats it is set up for.
• 63 Convention Center — an independent banquet venue in Yeouido's 63 Square, with a Grand Ballroom for up to 1,500 banquet guests and its own catering operation.
• Raum Art Center — a castle-inspired banquet venue on Eonju-ro in Gangnam; the Majestic Ballroom holds up to 800, and the 300-capacity Gallery Hall opens onto an outdoor courtyard.
• K-Turtle — a standalone convention venue in Sinchon with high ceilings and a pillar-free hall for up to 700, suited to company-wide dinners.

For up to about 200 guests

• Korea House — traditional wooden pavilions and courtyards near Namsangol Hanok Village, known for Korean royal court cuisine, for up to 120 guests.
• Market O Apgujeong — exposed brick and a vintage-industrial interior with its own banqueting kitchen, for dinners of up to 150.
• L'Escape Hotel — a boutique hotel near Namdaemun with a Jacques Garcia-designed interior; its Banquet Room takes up to 200 for a standing reception.

For something different

• Seoul Cruise — Han River vessels with indoor banquet halls and outdoor decks. In December, plan the programme indoors and treat the deck as a short stop.
• Theatre of Light — the former Walkerhill Theater, now an immersive space with 360-degree projection mapping, for up to 1,500.

For more large-format options, see our guide to gala and awards venues in Seoul.

What to check before you sign

• Minimum guarantee and final-numbers date. Year-end attendance moves late in the season; know when your headcount locks and what you pay if it drops.
• End time and overtime. Ask for the hard stop and the overtime rate in writing.
• Cloakroom. Winter coats for 200 people need space and staff — confirm both.
• Getting home. A venue near a subway station helps; for late finishes or venues outside the centre, consider coaches.
• Outdoor elements. Rooftops and terraces are a risk in December. Check whether a space is enclosed or heated before you plan around it.
• Holiday-week deliveries. If prizes, print or décor arrive in the last week of December, build in a buffer around 25 December.

If your teams elsewhere in Asia are planning too, our sister site covers year-end venues in Singapore and Hong Kong and bōnenkai venues in Tokyo and Bangkok.

Frequently asked questions

What is a songnyeonhoe? It's a Korean year-end gathering held in December to close out the year. In a company setting it usually combines a short address from leadership, a toast, some recognition of the year's work and a shared meal.

Which dates should we avoid for a December 2026 party in Seoul? Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and New Year's Day (Friday 1 January 2027) are public holidays, and the week of 21 December is short. Thursday and Friday evenings earlier in December are the most requested, so weekday or lunch dates are easier to secure.

Is it too late in November to book a December venue? It depends on size and day. Large ballrooms on Thursday and Friday evenings may already be committed, while mid-size venues, weekday evenings and lunch slots often still have options. Send us your dates and headcount and we'll check.

Does Korea's anti-graft law affect a year-end party? It can, if your guests include public officials, staff of public-service organisations, school staff or media employees. The Act limits the value of meals and gifts they can accept, so check the current limits with the ACRC before you finalise the menu and gifts.

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Event Korea is the venue sourcing arm of Chris & Partners, a Seoul event agency founded in 2013 that has planned and run 250+ events in 12 countries across five continents. Tell us about your event.