Seoul – Dongdaemun and Samcheong-dong
“Must Visit Spots in Seoul”

Seoul has 22 million people – such a bustling place! Where do you go?

A must-visit destination in Seoul is Samcheong-dong - where tradition and modern artistic sensibilities meet. The area’s unique mix of traditional hanok-style buildings, modern art galleries, comfy cafes and excellent restaurants collaborate to make it a huge draw.

Seoul’s Samcheong-dong district is where modern, trendy Korea melds seamlessly in this area of the old capital where the aristocratic classes lived during the Joseon Dynasty. Where the bold and experimental avante garde architecture comfortably sits aside traditional hanok houses. 

And while originally occupied as domestic homes, many hanoks with their distinctive wooden beams, stone-block construction and curved roofs, have since been renovated and converted into galleries, cafes and restaurants. This district boasts the greatest concentration of hanoks with some of the 900 still occupied.

If you are looking for some serious retail therapy, then head 20 minutes east, to Seoul’s fashion district Dongdaemun. It looks like a spaceship – a super modern building.

It seems like every time we visit Seoul, there’s a new must-visit site to visit! Today, we explore Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) - the newest and most iconic landmark of the Korean design industry. The landmark, a curvaceous concrete structure, its silvery facade partly covered by lawn, is the centrepiece of Korea’s fashion hub and popular tourist destination, Dongdaemun, featuring a walkable park on tis roofs, large global exhibitions spaces, futuristic retail stores and restored parts of the Seoul fortress. Dongdaemun, a historical district, is now renowned for its 24 hour shopping and cafes.

The recently opened Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is the newest and most iconic landmark of the Korean design industry and another amazing piece of world-class architecture. There used to be a stadium here, and when they pulled the stadium out, they found these 300-year-old ruins. They were old military fortficiation – they have been retained. It’s wonderful to see Seoul’s future sitting next to its past.

This steely structure is the world’s largest asymmetrical building and the centrepiece of South Korea’s fashion hub and popular tourist destination in the heart of Dongdaemun, featuring a walkable park on its roofs, large global exhibition spaces, futuristic retail stores and restored parts of the Seoul fortress.

Located on the second basement level, the Art Hall is the primary launch pad for the Korean creative industry. The hall is a key venue for conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, fashion shows, concerts and performances.

During our visit, the Transformers franchise was being celebrated with thirty years of retrospective of designer’s artwork.

The Museum Hall brings together Korean design and global trends. The Museum Hall is comprised of five sections: Design Playground, Design Dulle-gil (trail), Design Museum, Design Exhibition Hall, and the Design Rest Area.

The Design Playground (located on the fourth floor) offers a variety of design content and activities to encourage creative and critical thinking for children of all ages. Family with children from ages 5~15 can participate in 12 various activities throughout the Museum Hall.

The Design Lab serves as an incubator for rising Korean and international creative product designers. Products and ideas are exhibited and traded through Korea’s foremost platform for creative design.

The Dongdaemun History & Culture Park is the newest park in downtown Seoul. The park gives a glimpse of how the area was once used as a military training ground during the Joseon dynasty. The park seamlessly extends onto the rooftop of DDP, making it a truly unique park in Korea.

For more information, visit english.visitkorea.or.kr