Seoul(Gwangjin-gu) , The Eastern Part of the Seoul

Opened in 1981, the Universal Arts Center is a performing art theater that has been contributing to the development of Korean performing arts for the last 30 years.The 4-story grand theater has a classical exterior and seats up to 1,200 people. Past performances include musicals such as ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Nonsense,’ and the opera, ‘Yi Sun Shin.' The Paeksang Arts Awards, a supermodel competition, and international conferences have been held at the center as well.The Universal Arts Center is supporting ‘Art Korea’ to promote East-West cultural exchange. It is recognized as a Korean Culture and Arts Center and a Center for International Cultural Exchange.


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Seoul City Hall・Gwanghwamun

Opened in October 2001, Best Western New Seoul Hotel has 160 guestrooms and several dining, entertainment and convenience facilities such as a business center, a souvenir shop and men's sauna. It is conveniently located in central Seoul near City Hall, providing guests with easy access to shopping, sightseeing, etc.


Seoul(Mapo-gu) , Hongik-University-Area

Also referred to as “Tto-tteok,” Ttobogetji Tteokbokki is a popular tteokbokki restaurant that has many branches in Hongdae. Upon order, tteok (rice cake), egg, eomuk (fish cake), and three different vegetables are served together with an order of tabletop tteokbokki. Additional menu such as noodles, fried potatoes, and fried rice are also available.


Seoul(Jongno-gu)

If you are passionate about fashion and looking for something unique, head to Sonjjam in Insa-dong. Here, you’ll find a selection of stylish, handmade goods. Sonjjam specializes in clothes, corsages, fashion and interior accessories, hand weaving, fabric dyeing, and decorating mufflers and scarves. You’ll not only be able to see hand-weaving at the store; you’ll also find yourself in the heart of Insa-dong, one of the best places in Seoul to find traditional crafts and Korean cultural pieces.


Seoul(Songpa-gu)

Munjeong-dong Rodeo Street is a large shopping district containing over 200 brand-name discount stores. The street is T-shaped, with a 1km-long main street connected to a 400-meter-long alley, and the Munjeong 1-dong Resident Center located at the center. For shoppers’ convenience, there is a public parking lot (if visitors purchase goods at Rodeo Street, they can park here for free) and a parking lot for foreign tourists only (free of charge). Munjeong-dong Rodeo Street is one of Korea’s major shopping streets with customers ranging from teenagers to adults, since discount stores stocking sports wear, casual wear, shoes, men’s and ladies’ suits, and golf wear are all located on this street. Moreover, this is a great place to find deals on famous brands, at prices lower than at a department store. On some items you can get discounts of up to 70-80%.Shopping TipsSince most of the goods are stock from previous seasons, it might be better to purchase the more classic styles rather than the trendy fashions. In some cases, the goods might have been slightly crumpled or stained during the transfer from warehouse storage, but taking them to the dry-cleaners should fix most problems. However you should be careful when looking at the sewing quality, and check for missing buttons.One more thing to bear in mind is the shopping season. Even discount stores have periods when stock runs low. The best time to shop is immediately after the stores in Rodeo Street restock their merchandise. This is done at about the same time as department stores. There is also an enormous variety of goods to choose from during the Rodeo Festivals in May and September. The purchased goods are exchangeable but non-refundable, so check the quality of the products carefully before you purchase them. In addition, Munjeong-dong Rodeo Street has a wide selection of restaurants and entertainment facilities. There are a number of pizza places, coffee shops, and food courts, as well as internet cafes and game rooms in the alleys behind the stores. Visitors can also relax in the surrounding parks. There’s a park with a 600-year-old zelkova tree right behind the Munjeong 1-dong Resident Center. Munjeong Rodeo Street is not just a shopping area; it’s a cultural area. The ‘Munjeong-dong Cultural Festival’ takes place every year in May, and the ‘Munjeong-dong Rodeo Festival’ takes place in May every other year. During these festivals, visitors can watch traditional Korean performances, traditional wedding ceremonies, international fashion parades, hip-hop dancing, and more. A charity sale is held on weekends and national holidays on the open-air stage of the Munjeong 1-dong Resident Center, and merchandise is sold for even bigger discounts.


Seoul(Gwangjin-gu) , The Eastern Part of the Seoul

Situated in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Children’s Grand Park covers 530,000 square meters and is an ultimate leisure facility for families, offering a zoo, botanical garden, amusement facilities, and diverse performance events. Opened on Children’s Day in 1973, the park is full of attractions that appeal to youngsters: Marine Animal House that exhibits seals and polar bears, Small Animal Village, and even Parrot Village. The Music Fountain showcases a colorful array of water shows while the Outdoor Concert Hall offers a wide variety of performances year-round. The Water Playground is the ideal place to cool off in the summer. The wildly popular amusement park, iLand offers an entertaining assortment of thrilling rides: train rides, a viking ship, Jumper-Boat, Bumper Cars, Ghost Castle and more. Added to this are football fields, tennis courts, Dome Art Hall, and Kids Auto Park, making Children’s Grand Park an ultimate venue for family entertainment.


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

The Namsan Cable car runs from the base of Namsan Mountain (located in central Seoul) up to the Namsan Tower, one of the most representative tourist attractions in Seoul, loved by tourists and residents alike. The new cable cars, which have been in operation since Dec. 6, 2008, have an increased capacity of 48 people per car (up from 38). Unlike the older cars, the new cable cars have glass on all four sides, giving riders a wider view of the mountainside. Approximately 50,000 people ride the Namsan Cable Car each month. Visitors who are looking for a more tranquil tour are advised to go in the morning. For both a daytime and nighttime view of Seoul and the tower, take the cable car up the mountain in the late afternoon and coming back down in the early evening (to beat the nighttime rush). To get to the cable cars without having to walk too much, take the Namsan Oreumi, (Namsan outdoor elevator). The Namsan Oreumi is the first inclined outdoor elevator in Korea. It runs a distance of 140m (from the entrance of Namsan 3rd Tunnel to the parking lot of the Namsan Cable Car) and takes visitors to the Namsan Cable Car station in about two minutes, as opposed to the usual 20-min. walk. Maximum capacity is 20 people and operating hours are the same as the Namsan Cable Car (09:00 to 23:30). The other way to get to the Namsan Cable Car station is by going out of exit 3 of Myeongdong Station, subway line 4 (see ‘directions’ section for details).


Seoul(Seocho-gu) , Gangnam・Samseongdong(COEX)

The K Art Hall (Formerly, Seoul Center of Education and Culture) is located in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu district. The natural surroundings are beautiful, and the air is very clean. The center has one basement floor, and eleven floors above ground. Its main facilities include the main theater, which can provide for an audience of 1,000, the Culture Center, Art Exhibit, Education Promotion Center, and the Sports Center. Outside the building are the Grass Square, Sculpture Park and Drive-in Theater. The main theater can hold a variety of performances such as plays, dances, movies, operas, musicals, and others. There are frequently performances for children as well. At times, the theater is used as an international stage, as in the case of the Russian Leningrad Ballet company’s performance in 1991. The Culture Center has guest quarters and convention halls, and so is often used for conferences. The Sports Center has an indoor gymnasium, a swimming pool, health and aerobics rooms, a bowling alley, and a golf practice range. The facilities here are used primarily as a resting area. One unusual facility is the outdoor Drive-in Theater. Called “Karma 21,” the theater can accommodate a total of 250,000 cars. Each car is charged 15,000 won a ticket. Usually the latest releases are shown here. The theater is located in “Yangjae People’s Grove” Park, which boasts a very clean environment. It is the perfect spot to relax while enjoying a movie in the fresh air.


Seoul(Gangnam-gu) , Apgujeong・Cheongdamdong

In the early 1960s people would cross the Hangang River from Ttukseom Ferry Dock and arrive in Cheongdam-dong, which is now one of the more ritzy areas of Seoul. Though highly developed, there is still an area that is relatively untouched and that is the small Cheongdam Park. The park is quite crowded in the morning with people who exercise and offers a resting place to enjoy the fresh air thanks to many trees in the park. The park spans over 59,347 ㎡.