A city's competitiveness is not determined by daytime productivity alone. When foreign investors and companies assess a city, they weigh not only the infrastructure needed for business activity but also how safely and comfortably people live there, and how work and leisure connect. That is why the plan Seoul unveiled last month, "Seoul, a 24-Hour Vibrant Economy City" — the city's nighttime economy policy — has drawn attention. Its significance lies in treating the night not merely as time for consumption but as a new period of growth that raises the city's competitiveness.
Major cities abroad recognized the economic and social value of the night early on. London introduced a "night czar" position, building a public-private cooperation framework linking boroughs, transport authorities, police and industry, and experimented with nighttime economic revitalization through district-level "night time enterprise zones." Amsterdam has fostered nightlife culture as an economic and cultural asset of the city while treating as a key task the balance between residents' quality of life and the noise, congestion and public order problems that have come with rising tourist numbers and expanded nighttime activity. These cases show that a nighttime economy can go beyond entertainment or tourism to become a core element in raising a city's cultural and economic vitality. They also suggest that a sustainable nighttime economy requires integrated governance that manages safety, transport, regulation and resident acceptance alongside industry promotion.
Seoul starts from a competitive position. It has world-class information and communications technology infrastructure and public transit networks, a high level of public safety, and a deep pool of highly skilled talent. Add a nighttime economy to that, and Seoul can move beyond being a "good city to work in" to become a "city where people want to live," and further, a "city where people want to invest."
The measures in "Seoul, a 24-Hour Vibrant Economy City" can serve as the foundation for turning that potential into reality. Late-night transport options such as the Firefly Bus and autonomous buses will improve nighttime access for residents and tourists, while safety measures such as the "Seoul Sheriff" program will help create an urban environment where people feel secure even at night. If nighttime content is added at Seoul's signature spaces — the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the Han River and Gwanghwamun — the city's night itself can become a new asset for tourism and culture. What matters is not viewing each of these as a separate project but connecting transport, safety, culture and commercial districts into a single ecosystem.
From the standpoint of foreign investment, a city's night is by no means irrelevant. When overseas companies decide on investments, living conditions for those who settle there weigh heavily, not just business conditions. The quality of a place that is livable, safe and culturally interesting becomes an important criterion in that choice. The more Seoul's nights are filled with safe and appealing hours, the further the city will move beyond being a good place to work toward being a place people want to live in and return to.
One such effort is informing overseas companies and investors of the opportunities in new consumption, content and services created by Seoul's nighttime economy, and identifying companies that can grow in Seoul. Seoul's night is not simply scenery but a test of the city's competitiveness. When a safe and appealing nighttime economy takes root, Seoul's day will not merely grow longer but grow richer. A city residents want to live in, a city tourists want to revisit, a city companies want to invest and grow in — that is the future "Seoul, a 24-Hour Vibrant Economy City" should aim for.
