15 Themes — No. 02 · K-CULTURE

STEP INTO KOREA

For travellers who arrived through a drama, a film, or a song, and want to stand where it happened. Filming locations, studios, stages and styling — with enough context that the visit means something beyond the photograph.

The experiences

8 ways into this theme

Seoul · Jongno

HiKR Ground: K-Culture Playground

Start at HiKR Ground, the Korea Tourism Organization's four-floor K-culture space — media art, K-pop video sets you can film yourself in, and rotating exhibitions on what Korea exports to your screen.

It is the official front door to hallyu, free to enter, and the fastest way to understand what the rest of the trip's filming locations are about.

All year1-2hEasy going

Who it suits — The right first stop for a K-culture-led itinerary — orientation disguised as play.

Booking — Free admission

Season & hours — Closed Mondays

Busan · Gamcheon

Gamcheon Culture Village

Climb the pastel staircase lanes of Gamcheon Culture Village, the hillside district whose painted houses and art installations made it Korea's most-filmed neighbourhood — drama sets, music videos and all.

A refugee settlement from the Korean War turned village-scale artwork by its own residents — the backstory gives the photographs their weight.

All year2-3hModerate

Who it suits — The Busan half-day that fits every K-drama itinerary.

Season & hours — Steep lanes — comfortable shoes; residents live here, so quiet hours apply

Seoul · Dongdaemun

DDP: Korea in Its Future Tense

Visit Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Zaha Hadid's silver spaceship — K-fashion launches, design exhibitions and the LED rose garden after dark, in the district that never closes.

Half the K-pop comebacks and fashion weeks you have seen online happened inside this building; it is the stage set of contemporary Korea.

All year2hEasy going

Who it suits — Architecture for the parents, comeback ground for the fans — one stop, both satisfied.

Season & hours — Rose garden lights up after sunset

Gangneung · Jumunjin

Chasing the Scene: K-Drama Gangneung

Track down Gangneung's most famous K-drama filming spots — the Goblin breakwater at Jumunjin among them — holding each scene up against the real coastline and restaging it for your own camera.

One small coastal city holds scenes from a whole shelf of dramas; finding them one by one turns a beach day into a treasure hunt.

Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winterall dayEasy going

Who it suits — For K-drama fans — easily upgraded into a re-enactment experience with a file of drama stills to copy, scene by scene.

Language — Works with or without an interpreter

Booking — No booking needed

Season & hours — Breakwater photos not possible on rough-swell days (dangerous surge); winter visits depend on sea conditions

Seoul · Seongsu-dong

Seoul in Motion

Join a local running crew for an evening run through their favourite routes — Hangang River sunsets, the Gyeongbokgung–Cheonggyecheon old-city loop, or hot-spot Seongsu — then wind down the Korean way, over coffee or chimaek.

You don't watch Seoul, you run it — alongside locals, past palaces and neon, plugged into the running-crew culture sweeping the city.

Spring · Autumn1-2hEasy going

Who it suits — A fresh, family-friendly way into Korean culture that rides the global running trend.

Language — Basic English works

Booking — Arrange with the running crew in advance

Season & hours — Outdoor schedule shifts with the weather; midsummer and midwinter runs not recommended

Seoul · Jamsil

Cheer Like Korea: Pro Baseball Night

Take a seat at Jamsil Stadium for an LG or Doosan game and learn the fight songs with the cheer squad, fried chicken and beer in hand — Korean baseball is watched with the whole body.

The score matters less than the stands: massed chants, cheerleaders, food and colour make this the most vivid window into how Koreans play.

Spring · Summer · Autumnhalf dayEasy going

Who it suits — Modern Korean pop culture beyond K-pop — works for families, students and incentive groups.

Language — No interpreter needed; a guide helps

Booking — Buy tickets in advance — popular games sell out

Season & hours — Regular season schedule; no games on Mondays; rain cancellations possible; postseason dates vary

Seoul · Jongno

E-Sports Is Culture: LCK Live

Catch a live LCK match at LoL Park's arena in Jongno — or on non-match days, tour the arena lounge, Riot Store and PC café to see how gaming became Korean pop culture.

In Korea gaming is a stadium sport with pro leagues, fandom and neon — another global culture industry the country runs.

All yearhalf dayEasy going

Who it suits — Adds gaming — Korea's other global culture export — to a K-culture itinerary.

Language — English materials available

Booking — Match tickets required; check facility access on non-match days

Season & hours — Venue roughly 11:00–20:00; match days follow the league calendar, which shifts by season

Seoul · Gwanghwamun

Dress the Part: A Hanbok Day at Gyeongbokgung

Rent a hanbok near the palace — hair styling included — then walk Gwanghwamun, Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru for photographs, timed to catch the royal guard changing ceremony.

One photograph of yourself in hanbok inside the palace says more than any explanation — traditional dress living naturally inside today's Korea.

All yearhalf dayEasy going

Who it suits — The essential first-visit shot — instantly recognisable and effortlessly photogenic.

Language — English available

Booking — Hanbok rental reservation recommended; palace admission required (free in proper hanbok)

Season & hours — Palace hours vary by season; closed Tuesdays; dress for the season in high summer and deep winter

Keep looking

Other themes

No. 03 · CRAFT

MEET THE MAKERS

The hands behind the paper, the clay and the cloth.

No. 04 · ART

SEE IT. MAKE IT.

Look at the work in the morning, make your own after lunch.

No. 05 · FOOD

EAT WITH THE SEASONS

A calendar you can taste.

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