Street shows
Bands and dancers at night.
Striker9498 — CC0 · Ken Eckert — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Minseong Kim — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Striker9498 — CC0
The young, artistic quarter of west Seoul, named after nearby Hongik University, known for its fine-arts school. From the 1990s its then-cheap rents drew painters and musicians, Korea's indie music scene was born here, and the area still carries that spirit. It is best known for street performance: in the evening, especially at weekends, young bands and K-pop dance crews gather on the pedestrian street and crowds form around them. The lanes are packed with clothing and accessory shops at student prices, murals, and game and photo cafés. At the northern edge begins Gyeongui Line Forest Park, a long green walkway laid over an old railway line, running through Yeonnam-dong with its small cafés and restaurants, a quiet place for a stroll by day. Wandering is free, and the area comes alive after dark. Hongik University Station is on the direct train line from Incheon Airport, which is why many young travellers stay here.
Bands and dancers at night.
Green path on an old railway.
Cheap clothes and accessories.
Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu; Hongik University Station (Line 2 and the Airport Railroad), exit 9
Friday and Saturday evenings, when street music and dance shows are at their busiest. By day, Gyeongui Line Forest Park makes a good stroll.