American life in Seoul: holidays, ballgames, groups

Seoul has one of the most varied American communities in Asia. You'll meet English teachers on their first contract, executives on corporate packages, grad students, military families passing through, and lots of Korean Americans reconnecting with family. Here's where they gather.

The short version

The US Embassy is at 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, in the heart of downtown, phone +82-2-397-4114 [1].
Thanksgiving isn't a Korean holiday, but Chuseok, the fall harvest festival often called "Korean Thanksgiving," is a three-day public holiday. In 2026 it ran September 24–26 [2].
Baseball is huge. The LG Twins and Doosan Bears share Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu [3].
Church in English: big Korean churches run English-language ministries, including Onnuri Community Church and Youngnak Presbyterian's International Worship in English [4][5].
Business: AMCHAM Korea, founded in 1953, calls itself the largest foreign chamber in Korea [6].
Politics: Democrats Abroad Republic of Korea has a Seoul chapter [7][8]. Republicans Overseas doesn't list a Korea chapter on its site [9].

Holidays the American way

Thanksgiving vs Chuseok

Chuseok falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, at the full moon, and Koreans get three days off for it [2]. It's about family, ancestors and food, and it moves on the Western calendar, landing in September or early October. Think Thanksgiving travel, times ten: trains and highways out of Seoul are packed.

Our Thanksgiving, on the fourth Thursday of November, is a regular workday in Seoul. What Americans do instead:

Cook at home. Turkeys are hard to find in neighborhood supermarkets. Warehouse clubs help: Costco has stores in Seoul, and its Yangjae location once ranked first in worldwide sales [10]. Korean ovens are small, so measure before you buy a bird.
Eat out. Some restaurants and hotels in expat areas put on a Thanksgiving menu, but offers change every year, so ask around in October.
Hold a Friendsgiving on the weekend, potluck style. This is how most teachers and grad students do it.

See American food in Seoul for groceries and restaurants.

The Fourth of July

July 4 is just another summer day in Seoul, usually hot and sticky in the middle of the rainy season. Americans mark it with backyard-style barbecues on rooftops, gatherings at bars that show American sports, and events organized by community groups. Watch the embassy's social media and the political and business groups below for anything open to the public.

Baseball and other sports

If you love baseball, you've landed in the right country. The KBO League is a big deal in Korea, and Seoul's best-known ballpark is shared by two crosstown rivals:

Team	Home ballpark	Neighborhood
LG Twins	Jamsil Baseball Stadium (25,000 seats)	Songpa-gu, part of the Seoul Sports Complex [3]
Doosan Bears	Jamsil Baseball Stadium	Songpa-gu [3]

Seoul has a third KBO team on the west side of the city, so check the league schedule for every home game in town.

A KBO game feels different from a night at Dodger Stadium. Each player has his own chant, cheerleaders lead the crowd from a stage, and fans bring fried chicken and beer from outside. Seats are cheap by MLB standards, and a Doosan vs LG game at Jamsil, with both teams' fans in the same building, is a great first outing.

Other options for Americans: pickup basketball, amateur leagues organized through expat groups, and running along the paths in the Han River parks. For NFL and NBA games, which air in the early morning in Korea, look for sports bars in Itaewon and Gangnam. Our nightlife guide has more.

Churches and faith communities

Korea has some of the largest churches in the world, and several run full English-language ministries that welcome Americans:

Onnuri Community Church (Yongsan-gu): its Onnuri English Ministry is described as the largest English-language Presbyterian ministry in Korea [4].
International Worship in English at Youngnak Presbyterian Church in the Myeong-dong area, started at Easter 1998 [5].
Other congregations: Seoul also has international churches in the Itaewon and Yongsan area, plus Catholic Masses and other services in English. Directories for expats list many of them, but check each one's current schedule before you go.

Even if you're not religious, these communities are a common first stop for meeting other Americans. Many run small groups, holiday dinners and volunteer projects through the week, and they're often where newcomers hear about apartments, doctors who speak English and which hagwon to avoid. Services in English tend to draw a mix of Americans, Canadians, Koreans who grew up abroad and other internationals, so don't expect a slice of small-town America. Expect something closer to a crossroads.

Clubs, business groups and the embassy

AMCHAM Korea

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea was founded in 1953 and says it has about 800 member companies and affiliates [6]. It runs committees, seminars and networking events, from HR workshops to a December visa seminar in 2026 [6]. It's aimed at businesses, but members' employees can usually join events.

The US Embassy and STEP

The embassy at 188 Sejong-daero is where you'll go for American citizen services such as passport renewals and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad for kids born in Korea [1]. Sign up for STEP (the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) so it can reach you in an emergency.

The military community

Most US forces in Korea have moved out of central Seoul to bases farther south, especially around Pyeongtaek, and many military families now live there. On-post services are generally limited to people with base access. Our guide to the US military community in Seoul covers what's open to everyone else.

Politics from abroad: both parties

Democrats Abroad Republic of Korea (DAROK) is the party's official country committee for Democrats living in South Korea. It lists chapters in Seoul, Incheon-Gyeonggi and Busan, runs voter registration drives and holds events through the year [7]. The Seoul chapter hosts social and election events and helps members with voting [8].

Republicans Overseas is the main overseas group for Republicans. When we checked its site on November 6, 2026, it didn't list a South Korea chapter [9]. Republicans in Seoul can connect through the national organization.

Whichever party you back, the voting rules are the same. Send a Federal Post Card Application every calendar year, even if you're already registered, a point DAROK repeated in an August 2026 reminder [7]. FVAP.gov has the forms and your state's deadlines.

Finding your people

The fastest route in is usually through work, school or church. After that:

Language exchanges are everywhere, and learning Korean opens doors fast. See learning Korean in Seoul.
University alumni clubs for big US schools sometimes have Korea chapters. Check your alumni association.
Hiking groups: Seoul is ringed by mountains, and Bukhansan National Park is reachable by subway and bus.

And to meet other Americans, join our community group for Americans in South Korea.

American life in Seoul: Thanksgiving, the Fourth and a night at Jamsil