Viewpoint

Lotte World Tower

Lotte World Tower is Seoul's answer to the sky — a 555-metre needle of glass and steel that became South Korea's tallest building when it completed in 2017. Standing on the eastern bank of the Han River in Jamsil, it was decades in the making, with planning stretching back to the 1980s before structural and aviation challenges were finally overcome. The result is a tower that draws on the curves of traditional Korean celadon ceramics and calligraphy brushstrokes in its tapering silhouette, giving it a cultural identity that most supertalls lack. It doesn't just punctuate the Seoul skyline — it redefines it entirely, visible from nearly every elevated point in the city.