There鈥檚 nothing K-Pop can鈥檛 conquer. Ever since the Korean Wave (or Hallyu) started around the beginning of the new millennium, it has swept over Asia and moved onto the rest of the world, making South Korea and its entertainment industry famous on a global scale. Today K-Pop idols and groups play in sold-out stadiums and arenas worldwide and have fans of every nationality that support them and want to see their home country, exploring its culture and food as well as its music.
If you鈥檙e also planning to wander around the streets of Seoul to retrace your favourite idol鈥檚 steps, then this is the perfect guide to everything there is to do and see in the birthplace of K-Pop.
Entertainment companies and music shows
K-Pop fans know that it all begins with Korean entertainment companies 鈥 part music labels and part talent agencies, they鈥檙e places where idols train and then stay for generally the entirety of their careers. Their headquarters are a good place to start your K-Pop journey and who knows, you might be lucky enough to see your favourite idol arrive at the company for another work day!
Entertainment companies are all located in Seoul, the beating heart of the K-Pop industry, and they鈥檙e generally in the central areas of the city, like the famous Gangnam district. , the birthplace of groups like Girls鈥 Generations, Shinee, EXO and Red Velvet, is particularly worth a visit since it also has a special cultural space dedicated entirely to fans called 鈥 it includes a museum of the company鈥檚 history, augmented reality spaces in which you can come face to (virtual) face with your favourite artists, and a hologram theatre for concerts and special performances, as well as a cafe and gift shop.
Another staple of the K-Pop industry are music shows, weekly television programmes where idols perform and promote their songs. Getting into one of the music shows isn't always easy and the method varies depending on which group you want to see, but if you plan in advance it might be your best shot at seeing your favourites perform live in front of you. However, depending on when you're visiting, you might be able to catch one of the big concerts instead 鈥 where multiple artists perform sets of their most famous hits. For example, the Lotte Family Concert is held around August in Seoul (while the takes place in Busan around late October or early November).
Street sightseeing
Seoul, and especially Gangnam, fully recognises how much the K-Pop industry appeals to tourists, and has created plenty of opportunities for fans to 鈥渕eet鈥 their idols when they come to South Korea.
You might want to visit the inside the , for example, a cultural space entirely dedicated to the Korean Wave and its stars that includes various photo zones and video stations, with new celebrities being added each year as they rise to fame. The in Myeongdong follows the same idea 鈥 a corridor leading into one of Seoul鈥檚 bustling shopping areas filled with photos and handprints of idols, actors and other celebrities. Myeongdong is also the best place to get some of your K-Pop shopping done, since the has all the albums and merchandise you could wish for.
A very cute attraction that you absolutely can鈥檛 miss is the , not too far away from Apgujeong Rodeo Station. The whole road is filled with dolls and statues representing specific K-Pop groups, more often than not also carrying the members鈥 signatures.
Cafes and restaurants
South Koreans love quirky and hip cafes, and K-Pop idols are no exception. Following their footsteps in and out of their favourite cafes couldn鈥檛 be easier, because most of them don鈥檛 make a secret of an idol鈥檚 visit. You鈥檒l find pictures and memorabilia of famous patrons everywhere inside them, providing tourists with a perfect Instagram opportunity. Some cafes are even owned by idols, making your chances of meeting your favourite artists even higher.
For example, in Gangnam is owned by EXO鈥檚 Kai, and it鈥檚 an excellent place to try one of South Korea鈥檚 signature sweets, the bingsu 鈥 shaved ice with any kind of topping on it, from fruit syrup to red beans. cafe in the Cheongdam neighbourhood is managed by JYP Entertainment and it鈥檚 been the haunt of famous JYP groups like Twice and Got7, with even some of the members鈥 handprints hanging from the walls.
The same goes for restaurants. The famous in the Yeoksam neighbourhood of Gangnam, for example, was the background for many idols鈥 photoshoots, from BTS to Apink, and it鈥檚 a must-visit if you want to boast a photo with the same backdrop as your favourite groups (or if you鈥檙e simply craving some pizza in a very aesthetically pleasing place!).
Music video locations
While K-Pop groups travel all over the world to film their videos, it doesn鈥檛 mean they don鈥檛 also make good use of the locations South Korea can offer. You might want to visit the in Seoul, for example, where Apink filmed part of their Only One music video on a rooftop. The university鈥檚 auditorium was also used as the iconic backdrop to Blackpink鈥檚 summer hit As If It鈥檚 Your Last.
The abandoned amusement park Yongma Land in the Jungnang district of Seoul features in many music videos and photoshoots, and you鈥檒l recognise its carousel from the background of Twice鈥檚 Like Ooh Aah and B.A.P.鈥檚 1004, as well as a number of Korean dramas.
On the outskirts of Seoul, you鈥檒l find the of Paju, which features in two Super Junior videos, Magic and U, as well as in EXO鈥檚 Miracle in December. Outside Seoul, on the other side of South Korea, you鈥檒l find the town of Gangneung: the bus stop at Jumunjin beach shot to global fame after BTS used it as the cover shot for their 2017 album You Never Walk Alone.
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