Best Korean Christmas songs by K-pop stars to add to your holiday playlist

Be it BTS V’s “Snow Flower” or IU’s “First Winter”, Korean Christmas songs are perfect to set the holiday mood. Well, it’s that time of the year again. So, to get you into the festive spirit, here are some of the best Korean Christmas songs to add to your playlist. Listen along!

Christmas, in South Korea, is mostly treated like a second Valentine’s Day, with lovers spending the holiday month in the company of their partners. So it comes without surprise that some of the best Korean Christmas songs are a celebration of first snow, love and longing instead of religious motifs.

At the top of our list is BTS member V, aka Kim Taehyung’s 2024 hit “Winter Ahead”. A huge commercial and critical hit, it debuted at #99 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and reached #1 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart.

Talking about his collaboration with ballad singer Park Hyo-shin for “Winter Ahead”, V shared in one of his Instagram stories, “My dream was to make jazz and I was so happy to do jazz with my @parkhyoshin.official.” Thanking his fans for making the song an instant success, V further added, “Thank you so much for loving Winter Ahead and I love you so so so much ARMY. I miss you so much. Be careful of the cold.”

Other notable Korean Christmas songs by V such as “Christmas Tree” and “Snow Flower” celebrate a love that thrives even in the harshest winter conditions.

Not to forget Korean singer IU’s “Merry Christmas Ahead” featuring Thunder, which was listed among the most successful songs of the 2010s by Korea’s largest music streaming service Melon. With lyrics by Choi Gap-won, it debuted on the Billboard South Korea Songs chart twelve years after its release at #22 (dated 31 December 2022).

Best Korean Christmas songs to add to your December playlist

Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo-shin) by V

Written by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jesse Harris, the song explores a lover’s pledge to be with his partner even when there’s a stormy “winter ahead”.

A collaboration with his long-time friend, Korean musician Park Hyo-shin, “Winter Ahead” by V was released as a holiday gift for BTS ARMY on 29 November 2024.

A Christmas gem by independent South Korean producers Hyesung and Waizmin, the song is a wholesome blend of saxophone, trumpet and piano, accompanied by V and Park’s delicate vocals.

An instant hit, it broke the record for the biggest jazz debut in Spotify history (4.2M), surpassing “From the Start” by Laufey (1.1M). One of the best Korean Christmas songs to be released in 2024, “Winter Ahead” surpassed 40,000,000 streams on Spotify as of 9 December 2024.

Christmas Tree by V

Released on 24 December 2021, this Korean Christmas song is part of the soundtrack for the tvN K-drama Our Beloved Summer starring Choi Woo-shik and Kim Da-mi.

A melodious romantic ballad, the song focuses on the little things that the protagonists of the show appreciate about each other in their relationship.

Sharing his thoughts about “Christmas Tree”, V said in an interview with Weverse, “I am really grateful that Nam Hye-seung, the music director, wrote the song just for me, and I also really appreciated that she listened to my music and understood my style from listening to just a few of my songs.”

With over 320 million streams, V’s “Christmas Tree” became the most streamed K-OST on Spotify, as of 29 July 2023. It is also the first Korean OST to enter Billboard’s Hot 100 chart (at #79).

Additionally, the official YouTube music video for the song has over 86 million views as of 18 December 2024.

Entertainment

The 10 most-viewed K-pop music videos of all time

Culture

The richest K-pop idols and what they own

Everyday Christmas by Davichi

It is the 19th digital single by Davichi — the South Korean pop duo comprising singers Lee Hae-ri and Kang Min-kyung. “Everyday Christmas” was released on 6 December 2021.

A festive R&B soul melody, the song celebrates the happiness of the winter season and the spirit of Christmas.

Composed by Noheul, who co-wrote the lyrics with minGtion, “Everyday Christmas” conveys a sense of anticipation and excitement for the arrival of the winter season, the first snowfall and the warm lights illuminating the streets.

Solo Christmas by Ailee and Whee-in

A collaboration between Ailee and K-pop girl group Mamamoo’s Whee-in, “Solo Christmas” was released on 11 December 2021.

Composed by Ravi and Park Solhee, it sings of the bitter-sweet feeling of spending a solo Christmas. After its release, the song debuted at #93 on South Korea’s Melon Daily Chart.

Snow Flower (feat. Peakboy) by V

A special Christmas gift for his fans, “Snow Flower” was released for free on SoundCloud and YouTube on 25 December 2020.

Jointly produced by V and his close friend, musician Peakboy (who also features on the track), it is a touching jazz number about the holiday season.

One of the best Korean Christmas songs, the YouTube music video for the same completed its first 24 hours with 6.9 million views. It has over 81 million views on YouTube as of 20 December 2024.

Additionally, the song was released on Spotify on 28 August 2023 as a part of V’s solo album Layover. It has surpassed 44,146,230 views on Spotify as of 20 December 2024.

Christmas Love by Jimin

Produced by Slow Rabbit and written by Slow Rabbit, Jimin and RM, this Christmas melody was released on SoundCloud on 24 December 2020.

Officially released on Spotify on 6 March 2023, the song opens with sleigh bells and Jimin’s hauntingly beautiful vocals professing his love for the season, “Christmas I love you, you’re the one.”

It surpassed 18 million streams on the music streaming platform as of 12 September 2023. Additionally, it debuted at #4 on the Billboard Japan Download chart.

First Winter by Sung Si-kyung and IU

A duet by singers Sung Si-kyung and IU, “First Winter” is one of the best Korean Christmas ballad songs ever.

Released in December 2019, the track has lyrics by Kyuho Lee and is produced by Gang Hwa-seong. An instant hit, “First Winter” debuted at #3 on South Korea’s Gaon Digital Chart (dated 8-14 December).

On 25 December 2023, it surpassed over 3 million unique listeners on Melon, becoming IU’s 53rd song to achieve this milestone.

The YouTube music video for “First Winter” is equally promising and has over 1.1 million views as of 19 December 2024.

This Christmas by Taeyeon

One of the best Korean Christmas songs recorded by singer Taeyeon, “This Christmas” was released as a digital single on 12 December 2017 by SM Entertainment. It serves as the title track of Girls’ Generation member Taeyeon’s third EP This Christmas: Winter Is Coming.

A melodious ballad composed by Score and Megatone, “This Christmas” debuted at #2 on the South Korean Gaon Digital chart and at #5 on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 chart.

The song surpassed 40,000,000 streams on Melon on 24 November 2022.

Goodbye Christmas – English Version by Lay Zhang

Released on 22 December 2017, “Goodbye Christmas” is one of the best Korean Christmas songs of all time. It is a single from Chinese rapper-singer and EXO member Lay Zhang’s special winter album and second solo extended play (EP) Winter Special Gift.

Penned by singer-songwriter Onestar, “Goodbye Christmas” is a perfect blend of a soulful piano melody and LAY’s evocative vocals. With lyrics like “Everyone’s happy now, but I’m alone tonight”, the song conjures up a sense of longing during the holidays.

The YouTube music video for “Goodbye Christmas” has over 2.6 million views as of 18 December 2024.

Merry Christmas Ahead (feat. Chundung) by IU

Composed by Shinsadong Tiger and Choi Kyu-sung, “Merry Christmas Ahead” is a single from IU’s third EP Real (2010).

With lyrics that talk about spending a merry December with loved ones, the song also features singer Chundung, popularly known by his stage name Thunder. It debuted at #24 on South Korea’s weekly Circle Digital Chart (dated 12-18 December).

On 15 December 2024, “Merry Christmas Ahead” re-entered South Korea’s Top 50 on the Melon Daily Chart at #47, with over 75,283 unique listeners.

One of the best Korean Christmas songs of all time, “Merry Christmas Ahead” also surpassed 7 million unique listeners on Melon, becoming the first Korean B-side track to reach this milestone in the platform’s history.

Listen to our Korean Christmas Songs Spotify playlist below:

(Hero image credit: Weverse; Featured image credit: DAVICHI 다비치/@davichi.official via Instagram)