G’day folks. Well, my last Seoul based blog for you today, where I talk about the day I visited Gangnam, the southern district in Seoul which is the centre of the K-Pop world, full of fashion and rich people and the inspiration for the PSY song ‘Gangnam Style’. I’m going to be covering everything I did and saw in a ‘to-the-point post’ (have I EVER done a post that’s to the point? Lol), but first – getting there.

The Seoul Metro is very efficient and not too hard to navigate. I was up in the northern part of Seoul, but Gangnam is in the South on the other side of the Hangang (aka Han) River. My day itinerary started at Samseong Station, took me to the bug Gangnam Hands statue, then to Beogeunza Temple, then by bus to K-Star Road and Apunjeong Rodeo Street, then taxi to the area around Gangnam Station. I elected to go with the taxi for the last bit as time was running out and I was keen to finish up for the day. I split the vlog I shot into two vlogs in the end because there was just so much to cover. So yeah, a day in Gangnam is probably not enough!

K-Pop Square and the Coex Artrium

Coming out of the station I was basically at K-Pop Square and this building called the Coex Artrium (this is not a spelling mistake!). Nothing was happening at this empty space in front of the Coex Artrium, which is known as ‘K-Pop Square’, which basically is a square where I suppose events of some sort are held from time to time.

The building has a studio inside and obviously was some sort of K-Pop Centre. It was fun to explore inside for a bit, there’s a shop full of merchandise and photos up on the wall and at the top an auditorium where I believe they have concerts. I think one floor was a talent agency. Anyways I was free to roam about and found it interesting.

Coex Mall

This huge mall and exhibition hall is right next door. It’s an interesting building with loads of space for exhibitions and the like, and then below is the mall area with loads of shops, mostly clothes/fashion and heaps of eating options too for the visitor.

Starfield Library

The Starfield Library you enter from behind the Coex buildings, there is access between the mall and the Artrium. Technically it is part of the mall. Perhaps the highlight of this part of town it’s a glass structure with bookcases most of the way to the roof. How books are retrieved from the top shelves I have no idea and whether you can borrow a book like a regular library, again I don’t know. But I do know it makes for amazing photos and that’s what most people who visit are there for – to grab the perfect selfie. Open until 10pm, open all year and free so, if you’re in Gangnam, don’t miss the Starfield Library!

Gangnam Statue

PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ has become so iconic that they built a giant bronze statue of PSY’s hands in the pose of the dance (which mimics riding a horse) outside the Coex Mall. It’s quite something, and as you approach it the song starts to play. It seems pretty customary to try the dance yourself and film it. As I did. It’s genuinely pretty big you can stand underneath it and look up at the giant hands!

Beogeunsa Temple

Not far up from the giant hands of PSY is the Beogeunsa Temple, something of a contrast to everything else. This beautiful temple is worth your time and it was the Buddha’s birthday I think ON the day I was there, and many were visiting and there were multi-coloured lanterns everywhere which made it extra beautiful. It dates back to 794 CE.

K-Star Road & Kia Café

I got to K-Star Road via a short bus ride from the temple. You walk along this section of road where there are these ‘dols’ – small dolls I guess for want of a better word, perhaps large Pop-vinyl figures each dedicated to different K-Pop groups such as Black Pink. So, take a photo with the one dedicated to your favourite group.

I finally ended up at the even larger Gangnam Dol, but also stopped in at the Kia Café where you can see their latest cars on display and a couple of vintage models too, which frankly I thought were way more interesting.

Apujeong Rodeo Street

This is more of an area than a street. It’s supposed to be the glitziest part of Gangnam, and there are loads of swish cafes and you’ll also see plenty of places for plastic surgery – Korea is the world’s number one place for plastic surgery! It’s interesting enough for a bit of a stroll.

K-Museum of Contemporary Art

This art gallery has changing exhibitions and from memory was the most expensive thing I did in Seoul except for Lotte World. They had an exhibition inspired by the Leonardo Di Caprio film ‘The Great Gatsby’ (less so the book) which was kind of cool.

Around Gangnam Station

The final part of my day I zoomed across by taxi to the area near Gangnam Station. This area was very active and worth checking out. There’s the Samsung Centre where I learnt a bit about AI apps Samsung were developing and got to see I presume their whole catalogue on display. Friendly people there too.

There was a pop-up shop for a K-Pop band, there’s an area not far from the station where all the nightlife happens so I am led to believe, loads of bars and night clubs all barred up as it was way too early, and a number of bright shops full of colours selling all sorts of things! And then Gangnam Station itself has quite a decent little underground shopping mall of its own to explore.

So all in all, Gangnam can easily take a full day of a Seoul itinerary and it’s unique and special too, very much worth your time. I enjoyed exploring it! And that is the last of the Korean blogs, at least non-photographic ones! I do have a day in Taiwan to recount for you, maybe over a couple of blogs we will see!

Thanks as always for popping by today, take care wherever you are in the world, and, May the Journey Never End!