Here’s an inside look on what you can see and do in the Jung-gu district of Seoul, South Korea in this inside look.
Namdaemun Market
(Opened 24/hrs)
First opening in 1964, Namdaemun Market is the largest traditional market in Korea with over 10,000 vendors and shops that line the streets around the Namdaemun Gate. The market covers a large area and is a maze to navigate the streets, buildings and restaurants nearby. Compared to the other markets in Seoul, this area is home to the biggest collection of traditional goods. These include traditional clothing, packaged food, shoes, medicine and more. You can also find more modern clothing, jewelry, luggage, toys, snacks, and etc. If you want something made or sold in Korea, you can find it here if you look enough.
The market is open all day and night. The best times to visit are the afternoon and night time as there are more people walking around during this time. I found that I was always wandering aimlessly because I got lost going down the many streets, alleyways and buildings and always saw something new after seeing the same stalls again and again.
Location Via Naver Maps: https://map.naver.com/?app=Y&pinType=site&appMenu=location&pinId=13304144&menu=location&version=2
Moomin & Me Cafe
(Closed Sunday) (Opened 9 am — 7 pm)
If you want to get some coffee or sit down a bit after visiting the market I recommend heading to this themed cafe. The moomins originated in a series of books and a comic strip published in Finland. They are a family of white, round fairy tale characters with large snouts that make them resemble hippos, but they are actually Finnish trolls.
In recent years moomin has been gaining popularity in South Korea and you can see this in many stores that sell Moomin merchandise or arcade claw machines that offer a chance to win a soft plush of them.
Inside the cafe you will find a shop where you can buy moomin merchandise or get a coffee with a picture of one of the characters imprinted on your latte. You can also get desserts, macarons and other treats with the characters on their as well. It is an interesting visit and the prices are very good in comparison with the local Starbucks. Come here to sit down and enjoy taking some pictures.
Location Via Naver Maps: https://map.naver.com/?app=Y&pinType=site&appMenu=location&pinId=37903362&menu=location&version=2
Sungnyemun Gate (Namdaemun Gate)
Located in the middle of a busy junction, Sungnyemun gate is a few minutes away from Namdaemun Market and is one of the most important and historical gates in South Korea, being designated as the first National Treasure. It started being built in 1395 and was completed in 1398 out of wood and stone. The gate was rebuilt again in 1447 and it has been renovated over time to what it looks like today.
About 10 years ago on February 10, 2008, the gate was actually destroyed by a fire started by an arsonist. Firefighters rushed to save the structure, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. Restoration work began in 2009 and it cost about 14 million dollars to build. The best time to view the gate is at night when it is lit up.
Location Via Naver Maps: https://map.naver.com/?app=Y&pinType=site&appMenu=location&pinId=13491509&menu=location&version=2
Secret Spot: Seoul City Hall (Seoul Metropolitan Government and Library)
(Closed Saturday and Sunday) (Opened from 9 am — 6 pm)
Overview and facts
When you think of a city hall, you would think it’s just an old building where local government official works. But in Seoul, city hall is home to a variety of interesting things to see and do if you have time. I recommend coming here to get a picture in front of the i Seoul U sign and if you aren’t too busy, I also recommend taking a walk inside.
After four years and five months of construction, Seoul’s new City Hall was completed in October of 2012. City Hall is an eco-friendly buildings with an eye catching exterior and interestingly based on the eaves of traditional Korean houses. Inside there are government offices which make up about 62 percent of the area and there are actually public spaces for citizens that make up the rest of the area. Right next to the City Hall lays an old Renaissance-style stone building that is the Seoul Metropolitan Library (it used to be the old City Hall).
Inside City Hall
Inside City Hall you can find the Green Wall, which is a vertical garden the size of a soccer field that climbs up from the first to the seventh floor. It was once named in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest vertical garden in the world. Over 70,000 plants of 14 different species were planted in the garden. It was really cool to go inside and ride the elevator up to see this magnificent sight. Also on the first floor is an artwork called Meta Epic: SeoulBeol which a symbolic art piece that expresses the long history of Seoul, which has been the capital for over 2,000 years. It incorporates light, pathway, and tornado characteristics to give meaning.
On the bottom floor you can find an area dedicated to Citizens that features and experience at the excavation site of Gingiva, an armory from the Joseon Dynasty and the Guingisi Relics Exhibition Hall. On the top floors you can find a cafe where you can relax and take a break.
There are parts that are closed to the public and are only accessible by members of the Tong-Tong Tour which include the Former Mayor’s Office. I was surprised that many tourists don’t visit the spot often and alsoI didn’t know that there was a tour to get into these restricted areas, so I recommend making a reservation for the Tong Tong Tour course of Seoul City Hall at the link below.
Location Via Naver Maps: https://map.naver.com/?app=Y&pinType=site&appMenu=location&pinId=11556036&menu=location&version=2
Deoksugung Palace
(Closed Mondays) (Opened 9 am — 9 pm)
Located right next to City Hall, Deoksugung Palace is famous for its elegant stone-wall road and the only palace that sits alongside a series of western style buildings. The palace was the location where Prince Wolsan, older brother king Seonjong lived during the 15th century. Over the following decades, the palace switched between being an official palace and a temporary residence.
Location Via Naver Maps: https://map.naver.com/?app=Y&pinType=site&appMenu=location&pinId=11571730&menu=location&version=2
N Seoul Tower
(Opens 10 am — 11 pm)
Overview of the tower:
N Seoul Tower was built in 1969 as Korea’s first integrated transmission tower bringing television and radio broadcasts across Seoul. Since it’s opening in 1980, it has been a great Seoul landmark and very popular destination for Seoul’s visitors. The tower’s main attraction is the observatory you can take to the top and the beautiful views you can get from the surrounding area. Namsan Seoul Tower is broken down into two different areas that include the Seoul Tower Plaza and the actual N Seoul Tower area itself.
The Seoul Tower Plaza lies underneath the N Seoul Tower and is made up of five floors that include places to eat and drink, a hanbok cultural center, and game plaza. In addition these floors have decks outside that have different character statues and even a large heart shape led piece.
N-Seoul Tower area
The N Seoul Tower has different levels as well that include places to eat before you go to the top.
One of the most popular things to do for couples is to purchase a love lock, write a message and lock it somewhere on the bottom portion of the tower.
You can purchase these love locks in the tower’s gift shop on the bottom floor or purchase it from a vending machine.
There are different versions and colors that the locks come in and you can also buy a glow in the dark version.
Before you enter the place to go up to the top of the tower, you can also visit the Hello Kitty Island attraction located right before the gate. It costs 8,000 KRW to go in, but you can get a deal on Klook that includes a ticket to Hello Kitty Island and the top of the tower for 11,000 KRW on Klook. Normally it costs 10,000 KRW to get to the top of the tower, but you can get that ticket bundle or you can just buy a ticket to go to the top for 5,500 KRW.
When you first head through the area before the elevator to the top of the tower you can see a cool projection show that has different layouts that change every few minutes, it was so vibrant and looked so cool. Be sure to stay and see all the layouts and maybe take a few pictures of yourself posing. When you reach the top of the tower it is a beautiful sight to see the surrounding area of Seoul on a clear day. The tower offers a 360 degree view and you can dine at fancy restaurants that are located within the top portion of the tower. One of the attractions you have to see are the bathrooms in the tower. For women you can see the view of the outside from the stall and for men you can see it in front of the urinal section.
Overall N Seoul Tower is one of the cheapest and great views of Seoul and is a spot you must visit if you are a tourist. I recommend going on a clear day around the evening near sunset. I went on a cloudy and foggy day, the view wasn’t bad. But it could have been better.
How to get there and back
To get to N Seoul Tower you can take the cable car which is located near Namsan Tunnel 3 for 9,500 KRW or take one the specialized yellow #2, #3, #5 bus that takes you directly to the tower for 1,200 KRW. I made the mistake of leaving the bus early because it told me so on naver maps, so do not leave the bus until you are directly at the top of Namsan Mountain! To get back down the mountain you can take the same buses.
Location via Naver Maps: https://map.naver.com/?app=Y&pinType=site&appMenu=location&pinId=11635171&menu=location&version=2
We hope this guide will be helpful for when you plan your global travels to Seoul, South Korea.
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