SEOUL — Beneath Seoul’s bustling Express Bus Terminal, one of the city’s best-known underground shopping destinations is about to get a distinctly K-fashion makeover.
Gotomall, the sprawling underground shopping center with roughly 620 shops, will become the setting for the 2026 Goto-Sebit K-Style Up Festa, a monthlong campaign designed to showcase Korean street fashion while bringing new attention — and potentially more customers — to local merchants.
The festival begins Sunday and will continue every Sunday through Oct. 25, transforming Picasso Mural Street into a fashion-focused event space featuring professional styling, beauty experiences, exhibitions and a full runway show.
Rather than treating Gotomall simply as a place to shop, Seocho District officials are positioning the underground market as an interactive destination where visitors can see how affordable clothing can be transformed into contemporary Korean-style looks.
From Underground Shopping Mall to K-Fashion Stage
Gotomall is already deeply connected to Seoul’s fashion economy. About 70% of its vendors specialize in clothing and footwear, making the shopping hub a natural venue for a campaign centered on K-fashion.
The mall is connected to Express Bus Terminal Station, where Seoul’s subway Lines 3, 7 and 9 meet, and is known for its large selection of clothing, shoes, cosmetics and accessories. Korea Tourism Organization describes the center as having more than 600 stores along its underground corridors.
Now, the district wants visitors to experience those shops in a completely different way.
Fashion, Beauty and AI Meet Underground
Throughout October, visitors will be able to view a curated photo exhibition featuring representative looks from participating Gotomall stores.
They can also vote for their favorite outfits. The highest-rated displays will receive a 2026 K-Fashion Award flag and promotional exposure intended to encourage visitors to move from the exhibition area directly into participating stores.
The festival also brings technology and beauty into the mix.
Interactive stations will offer AI-powered skin analysis, personal-color consultations and hands-on beauty coaching, creating an experience that goes beyond conventional retail shopping.
That combination reflects a broader push to connect fashion, beauty, tourism and entertainment in a single destination.
The Big Moment Comes October 25
The campaign will culminate on Oct. 25, when the K-Style Gotomall Fashion Show takes over the underground shopping hub.
University students will walk the runway wearing complete outfits assembled using clothing sourced directly from Gotomall’s stores.
The process — from selecting merchants and choosing clothes to fittings, hair, makeup and photography — is also being filmed as a digital series aimed at promoting the district to international tourists.
That approach could give participating merchants something they rarely get from a conventional shopping trip: a chance to see their everyday inventory presented as part of a professionally styled fashion story.
Why Seoul Is Betting on Gotomall
The festival is part of the Goto-Sebit Special Tourist Zone, designated in late 2024 and covering the Express Bus Terminal area, Banpo Han River Park, Some Sevit and Gotomall’s underground passages.
For Seocho District, the objective goes beyond putting on another fashion event.
The campaign is intended to create a direct connection between tourism, local businesses and Korean fashion — turning visitors’ curiosity about K-style into actual foot traffic for small retailers.
Seocho District Mayor Jun Sung-soo said the event was designed to let citizens and visitors experience how products sold at Gotomall can be transformed through professional styling.
And that may be the most interesting part of the experiment: Seoul isn’t simply putting K-fashion on a runway. It’s taking the runway underground and putting local shops at the center of the show.
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