Hello everyone. Are you planning a trip to Seoul? Are you looking for places to visit?
Today, I'll introduce this place, Yongsan. Yongsan is a popular destination for both foreigners and Koreans. Foreign visitors often come for the National Museum, War Memorial, BTS' HYBE Entertainment, and Amorepacific. Locals frequently visit Yongsan for delicious restaurants, shopping at IPark Mall, and visiting Nodeul Island. Today, I'll show you where I went in Yongsan to tell you what you can do there for half a day. Let's get right into it.
📍 Yongsan Station
I have arrived at Yongsan Station. Yongsan Station is relatively larger compared to other stations as it is used as a station for KTX and trains. Additionally, it is conveniently connected to the shopping mall, IPark Mall, allowing easy access for shopping. I’m going out to Exit 1 to head to a restaurant. There is this long escalator to go down. Take a right. You'll see stairs on the right where people often sit and relax. Sometimes, when I come to Yongsan with friends, we sit here and enjoy coffee.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/FnM2FVHh
📍 Seomjib
Follow the map to get to the restaurant. Today, we're at Seomjib. This restaurant is extremely popular because its dishes have a homely taste, less spice compared to other places. That's why many people come here. The opening time is 11:30, and if you don't arrive promptly, you might have to wait. So, try to come around the opening time or slightly after lunchtime. We ordered the famous steamed pork kimchi and beef jeon. Just to note, you have to order steamed pork kimchi at least two portions. Hence, we ordered two servings of steamed pork kimchi and beef jeon. I have covered more details about this restaurant in below video, so please refer to it for more information. Alternatively, check the blog link.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/5HSEXLiN
✔ Video: https://youtu.be/Qinx09ZV-qc
📍 L'ombre 378
Next, we're heading to a cafe. We visited a cafe near the restaurant. Here, they have various pastries and drinks. Here, there is this small part with hanok-style interior next to the main room. It’s very antique. We tried to sit here to enjoy the traditional vibe, but we decided to sit at a table. It was a bit uncomfortable. We enjoyed our coffee and dessert.
Right in front of the cafe is HYBE Entertainment. Because of this, there are plenty of BTS-themed cafes around. BTS fans would love it here.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/IDBd3NQP
📍 Nodeul Island
Next, we're planning to rent bikes (Ttareungi). Our next destination is Nodeul Island, which is within walking distance. However, we decided to rent bikes so that we can show you how to use them and to stop by other places on our way back. For more detailed information on how to use Ttareungi, please refer to this video.
✔ Video: https://youtu.be/1IxW2gy2Cvk
If you follow the bike path like us, you've come to the wrong place. Riding the bike in the opposite direction is actually more convenient. Anyways, we left our bikes in front here and entered this building. If you go upstairs, there's a connecting bridge. Crossing the bridge leads us to Nodeul Island.
Nodeul Island is a small island on the Han River. It's much smaller than other Han River parks, so you don't have to walk much, making it a nice place just for a short visit. There's a small bookstore here where you can sit and study or read books for free. On the other side, there's Nodeul Lounge, a free lounge where you can study or hold meetings. It's very well-equipped. We also took a brief rest here doing some computer works. Nodeul Island has 2-3 restaurants and a convenience store. You can get instant noodles here like other han river parks.
We bought iced cups and bagged drinks. Many foreigners found this quite fascinating. Let me tell for those who haven't seen it before. You tear the end of the bag, pour it into the cup, and insert a straw to drink. It tastes great. But after a few times, this can be bothersome, so now I usually ended up buying canned drinks.
If you head towards the left side of Nodeul Island, there's a large stage for performances. Sometimes there are concerts here. Further back, there's a small park overlooking the Han River. Some people are already enjoying their time resting. There are usually more people on weekends, but it's a bit quiet on weekday afternoons. It is very cozy and nice.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/xaPgJl4X
📍 Railroad
Let's hop back on the bikes and head this way. This place is so famous to photographers. It's famous as a filming location for the drama "My Mister". There's this railroad track where train passing through the alleys giving something charmingly old-fashioned view. Especially on snowy days, this place attracts a lot of photographers. It's a great place to take photos, so I wanted to introduce here.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/FKODIP8z (this link is to a stuio in front of the railroad)
📍 Superstar Tteokbokki
Next, let's go get some snacks at the tteokbokki restaurant. This is Superstar Tteokbokki. The owner of this place is a BTS fan, so the shop is filled with BTS photos. It's known as a famous tteokbokki place among ARMYs. We ordered two servings of tteokbokki and added ramyeon noodles. There's a set menu, which is convenient, but since we just wanted a snack, we only ordered this. Oh, and you can adjust the spiciness level. You can order it mild if you prefer. The ordering machine also has an English option, so you can view the menu in English. It’s easy to order even if you can’t read Korean. After placing your order, there's a self-serve bar where you can get pickled radish. They also give you a timer when the tteokbokki is out. When the timer goes off, you can start eating. Begin with the ramyeon and then enjoy the tteokbokki.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/GTefXhJC
📍 Amorepacific
Next, we'll visit the Amorepacific building. Amorepacific is a well-known cosmetics company in Korea. While it's an office building, up to 3rd floor, there is spacious indoor area, where you can find various cafes like Osulloc and Innisfree, where you can enjoy coffee and brunch, making it a popular meeting spot. There are also several restaurants on the basement floor. And of course, since it’s cosmetic company building, you can also get skin consultations and test out cosmetics.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/Gbr0KuCI
That's all we visited for half a day. Additionaly, let me tell you about other things you can do in Yongsan.
📍 War Memorial
Located north of Yongsan, there's the War Memorial. It's a place of remembrance for various wars in Korea, where you can see history and records. It's quite large, and its admission is free. It may take around 2-3 hours to explore all.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/GmfKyMQD
📍 Yongsan Park
In this part of Yongsan, there's Yongsan Park. This area was originally used as a US military base for a long time. It's now changed into a park. There are several sections to the park, including the National Central Museum, Children's Park, and Children's Museum, offering various places to visit.
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/5kkQKkp0 (National Central Museum)
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/5ucMedwQ (Children's Park)
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/5NdqdIDf (Children's Museum)
📍 Food Options
Below Yongsan Station, there are fusion restaurants, cafes, and wine bars, making it a great place to dine.
📍 Yongsan Station
Yongsan Station itself has IPark Mall and a movie theater, making it a place for shopping and watching movies. Additionally, there are plenty of food courts and restaurants, making it convenient for dining.
📍 Above Yongsan Station
Here, you'll find delicious barbecue restaurants offering various types of meat. Among them, there's a place I often go for skirt meat. Check out the blog post description for more details. Also, there's Yongsan Street lined with delicious restaurants. I will try to cover more content related to these restaurants soon!
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/GlVOSDEk (Yongsan Street)
✔ Naver Map: https://naver.me/FuVoMZG2 (my rec.)
✔ Video: https://youtu.be/fdy3Q9GSCPQ (Sonmun)
✔ Blog: https://www.yourkoreafriend.com/post/top-10-restaurants-2023 (Sonmun)
Okay, today I have introduced Yongsan area. Locals often visit these places for dining or shopping, or to visit Nodeul Island in warm days. There are also other places you can visit, so you might want to check out Yongsan when you are in Seoul. It could be a great day itinerary to visit the War Memorial, have lunch, explore Nodeul Island, and have dinner. If you're looking for something new, give it a try.
That's all for today. I will give out more information next time. Thank you!