Hongdae & Yeonnam Friday Night Summer Tour｜Seoul Hotspots & K-POP Busking [VR 360]
Hello. This is Hongdae Street. In this video, we’ll explore Hongdae and
Yeonnam-dong, known as hot spots in Seoul. Hongdae Street is a hot spot
for young people in their 20s. It’s also well-known as one of Seoul’s
three major consumer districts. Myeongdong, Gangnam, and Hongdae each
have their own unique characteristics. Myeongdong has traditionally
been the oldest hot spot, attracting more foreign tourists than locals. Gangnam is where the wealthy flaunt their wealth. Hongdae is the most popular destination
for young people in their 20s. This is because several
universities are located nearby. The name “Hongdae” originated from the
nickname for nearby Hongik University, which Koreans called “Hongdae.” It was named “Hongdae Street” because it’s
located right in front of the university. This street began to attract people in the 1990s. Before that, Sinchon, east of
Hongdae, was more populated. For Seoulites in their 50s and older,
Sinchon was like Hongdae today. The decisive event that led to
the growth of this commercial district was the fire at a rock cafe in Sinchon. A rock cafe is what you
might call a modern-day club. It was a place where people could enjoy dancing while listening to a variety of music,
even though it was called a rock cafe. Musicians also performed there. Many people lost their lives in the fire. At the time, the government
designated rock cafes as illegal, decadent establishments
and launched a massive crackdown. Many shops closed, and various music clubs
sprang up in the neighboring Hongdae area. As more and more artists began to leave
Sinchon and pursue their careers here, it became a popular destination. If you walk along this
street for about two minutes, you’ll arrive at the main
gate of Hongik University. From this point on, the atmosphere of the left
and right streets are completely different. Based on the direction I’m walking,
the left side is mostly filled with restaurants, cafes, and K-pop street performances. The right side is filled with clothing stores,
bars, clubs, and other entertainment options. People often eat on the left side and then
hang out with friends on the right side. I also have fond memories of meeting friends here,
eating, going to bars, and partying all night. This video won’t walk on the right side. It’ll only cover the left side. If you’re curious about the right side, you
can check out other videos on my channel. I’ll try walking on the left path here. Looking straight ahead, you can
see a lot of people standing. They’re probably watching
a K-pop dance performance. Street performances take place
here every evening from 8 p.m. I can hear Baby Monster’s “Hot Sauce.” It was a wonderful performance. I heard that the people performing
there had to reserve a performance time in advance at the local district office. They’re doing a cover dance of BTS’s “Best of Me.” There are more women watching
the performance here. Even before BTS became known worldwide, they were known for their high-difficulty
performances, even among Korean K-Pop acts. It’s truly amazing how BTS can
sing while dancing like that. I visited here around 9:30 PM on a Friday evening. It was a bustling time. Koreans love to party late into the night. There’s even a saying, “Koreans
treat partying like work.” It’s a given that when they meet up with
friends, staying up all night is a given. Because Koreans love partying so much, it seems to
have a positive effect on public safety at night. I walked straight along the road. Here, I came to a fork in the road. If you take the left, you’ll
reach the beginning of the video. I’ve marked my current location on the map. The yellow line marks my route. I’m walking from the starting point, past
the busking zone, toward Yeonnam-dong. Continuing along the street, I arrived at the
entrance to Hongik University Station on the left. This subway station has three lines. An additional line is planned for construction. You can imagine how popular this place is. I walked for about four minutes and
passed the large department store here. Here, you can see the subway
station exit on the left. It’s the same subway station we saw earlier. The only difference is the exit. Now, just cross the crosswalk in front
of you and you’ll arrive at Yeonnam-dong. The department store behind me is known
as a mecca for otaku culture in Seoul. The Seoul headquarters of Animate, a Japanese store selling otaku-related
merchandise, is located there. Looking at the LED outdoor advertisements
on the building’s walls, you can see advertisements for Demon Slayer:
Kimetsu no Yaiba and Blue Archive. Both are extremely popular
content within otaku culture. Hongdae is therefore a unique place where you
can experience both K-pop and otaku culture. Here, you see a sign that says
“Gyeongui Line Forest Trail.” You can now consider yourself in Yeonnam-dong. Yeonnam-dong was the last area within
Hongdae to develop a commercial district. Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong are
generally considered separate areas. However, because the development of this
commercial district was influenced by Hongdae, real estate experts often lump it all together and
refer to it as the Hongdae commercial district. To the right, you’ll see
a park planted with trees. This area was originally a railroad. That railroad connects to North Korea. Even now, trains run all the way to
the northernmost part of South Korea. Among them, this 6.3km stretch of
railroad in Seoul was buried underground. The purpose was to bridge the regional divide
caused by the railroad and to reorganize the city. This park was created in 2016. Before then, this area wasn’t
as bustling as it is now. It was an ordinary residential area. It was primarily a densely populated
area of Chinese immigrants. If you look at the floor, you’ll see
some areas covered with uneven bricks. This marks the traces of a former railroad. The influx of people here began
in 2016, when this park was built. The area I walked at the beginning of the
video is the most central part of Hongdae. As the number of visitors increased,
building rents rose significantly. Some restaurants, cafes, and other merchants, unable to afford the rents,
gradually moved their stores here. And young people found Yeonnam-dong refreshing. The beautiful park in the center of the area made
it a great place for a stroll, and the peaceful, quiet atmosphere, a stark contrast to the
bustling atmosphere of Hongdae, was appealing. Most of the shops here are renovated residential
houses, creating a unique atmosphere for Koreans. I entered the main alley of Yeonnam-dong. From here, I could see a wide variety
of shops lining the narrow streets. The streets are simply beautiful. Personally, I enjoy walking
here more than Hongdae. The beautifully decorated shops and the
maze-like alleyways blend perfectly together. Unfortunately, I visited after 10 p.m. Most shops were closed, but a few were still open. Because of this, I couldn’t fully
capture the beauty of this street. While there are some darkened shops, it’s still nice to stroll along this
quiet, secluded street at night. The shops you see here were once
residential areas just a few years ago. Some of the houses are still used as residences. It’s similar to Ikseon-dong in Seoul. In Ikseon-dong, traditional Korean houses
have been renovated and converted into shops. I find it fun just to walk around. Seoul is safe to walk around late at night. Because police surveillance cameras
are installed throughout the city, anyone who commits a crime will be caught quickly. While it’s certainly not
advisable to walk around at dawn, it’s relatively safe compared to other countries. After exploring the alleyways of
Yeonnam-dong, I returned to Railroad Park. I’m walking back toward the crosswalk I
walked along before arriving in Yeonnam-dong. Looking to the left, people are sitting
on park benches, chatting with friends. The alley I just passed was empty,
but this one is still bustling. The last subway train in Seoul runs at midnight. Most people here will probably catch
the last train home by midnight. You’ll see the department store
building I passed straight ahead. I’ll walk to the right from here. I’ll end this video by walking past
the starting point of this tour and ending at “K-Pop Square,” a place
selling K-Pop-related merchandise. If you look to the left, you’ll
see quite a few bicycles. Most of them look identical. These are public bicycles operated
by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. For a monthly subscription fee, you can
ride any of the public bicycles available throughout Seoul and park them in bike
parking lots located throughout the city. It’s very convenient because you can use
the bicycles only when you need them. I walked along Hongdae’s main
street for about two minutes. The skyscrapers and bright lights were impressive. The shop on the right is a claw machine shop. Shops like this are common in Korea. If you look across the street to the
left, you’ll see the Adidas store. I arrived across the street
from the tour starting point. A little further on, you’ll reach K-Pop Square. I finally arrived. It’s the store you see on the right. That’s a store that sells K-Pop merchandise. I’m not sure if it was a limited-edition sale the day I visited, but there
was a line of people waiting. The store was already closed, but those people
seemed to be trying to stay up all night. This concludes my evening tour
of Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong. Thank you for watching the video.
On a Friday night in Seoul, I’ll be walking the streets of Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong in VR 360.
Hongdae is a vibrant hub for young people in their 20s, filled with street performances and K-pop busking.
Yeonnam-dong is famous for its unique cafes and charming alleyways along the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail.
On this tour, you’ll experience:
👉The excitement of Hongdae’s main street
👉BTS and K-pop dance busking
👉Otaku culture meccas and K-pop merchandise shops
👉The nightscape of Yeonnam-dong’s alleyways and railroad park
all at once.
Enjoy a Friday night in Seoul with VR!
[Timestamps]
0:00 Hongik University Station Exit 9.
1:39 Hongik University Intersection.
3:06 K-pop street performance.
4:44 Walk along Hongdae Red Road.
5:35 Hongik University Station Exit 7.
6:42 Yeonnam-dong Street.
7:22 Gyeongui Line Forest Trail.
8:39 Exploring the alleys of Yeonnam-dong.
10:59 Returning.
11:38 Seoul City public bicycles.
12:11 Hongik University Station Exit 2.
12:35 K-Pop Square.
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