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

Nicole Jung, Amber Liu and Jo Kwon do not venture into a grocery store to have their daily cereal fix. Instead, they head themselves to Midnight in Seoul, Korea’s very first cereal café. The decor of the café, complete with electric pink walls and neatly stacked cereal boxes, has been featured on the social media accounts of many celebs. Initially opened by actor and singer Yoon Kye-sang and his artist friends, Midnight in Seoul recently changed ownership. K-pop fans will be familiar with the new owner of Midnight in Seoul- the singer Jo Kwon from the K-pop group 2AM. As for the menu items, over 40 different types of cereals and a wide variety of toppings including nuts, fruits, marshmallows and wine gums (what are wine gums? Is that the correct term?) are available. Choosing a cereal can be tricky but the friendly wait-staff is always ready to provide menu recommendations.  


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

The Coreana Art & Culture Complex is the largest museum in Korea that is exclusively for cosmetics and was created to preserve and to promote beauty items and the make-up culture of Korea.Centered around the 53,000 beauty items collected by Dr. Yu Sank-Ok, one of the executive directors of Coreana Cosmetics, three cosmetic museums were created: one in Seocho-dong in 2001 (known as the 2nd center), one in Sinsa-dong in November 2003 (Space *C, the Main Center), and one in Cheonan in June, 2004 (Songpa Tech Institute, the 3rd center). The Main Center, opened in November 20th 2003, within a cultural center named Space *C, drew much attention from the public. The museum sits right next to the Coreana Art Museum that features and curates modern art. The Coreana Art & Culture Complex contributes to the education and research of the nation’s cosmetic culture by presenting the history of women in Korea, including the exhibition of traditional make-up tools. In 2006, in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of ties between Korea and France, the museum held a special exhibition titled “Nature-like Beauty, Cosmetic Culture of Korea”, which attracted much attention and applause at the Center Culturel Coreen in Paris, France. 


Seoul(Seodaemun-gu) , Sinchon・Ewha Womans University

The Hyundai Department Store Sinchon Branch stands at the center of the young and vibrant Sinchon area. Several universities are clustered around this area so the products displayed cater to a younger crowd. For added convenience, the Sinchon Subway Station, Line 2 is also directly connected to the department store.


Seoul(Seocho-gu)

Express Bus Terminal Wholesale Flower Market is located on the third floor of the Gyeongbuseon area in Express Bus Terminal, Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul-si. This flower market handles 30-40% of all shipping of flower supplies throughout the nation like the name sugguests. 40% of all flowers sold are delivered to retail dealers and florists in the Seoul area and the other 50-60% is sold to middlemen living in other big cities such as Gangneung, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju, etc. Only 5% of the whole supply amount is purchased by general customers. In addition, the market houses flower-related stores including shops selling items for flower arrangement, and other specialty stores for gardening. The prices of the market vary by the conditions and types of the flowers available so it differs every day. General buyers can get flowers at about a 30-50% cheaper price than at a retail flower shop.


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

The Café Rainbow is the first of the nine lookout cafés along the Hangang River to be opened to the public. The 76.4㎡ café occupies the third and fourth floor of a four-story building (1st and 2nd floor to be used as a common space for an elevator and stairways). The Café Rainbow consists of a café, an outlook and an exhibition hall, all of which are centered around the theme of biking.The 3rd floor, which is used for theme promotion and marketing, is decorated with bike-related items and designed in accordance with the overall biking theme. Moreover, the café distributes information for free about Hangang River events and festivals while supporting programs and events related to bicycling. From the 4th floor, visitors can enjoy a picturesque view of the Hannam Bridge, and Namsan Mt., and at night, indoor lights will be lowered to provide the best lighting for the fantastic night view. The café's interior has many comfy chairs, and equipment for visitors to take a rest. The menu reflects the idea of overall health with a selection of healthy foods and beverages, the perfect match to a day of bike riding.


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Seoul(Yongsan-gu) , Itaewon・Yongsan

Song Hye-kyo, one of the first-generation Hallyu stars, once again proved her talents last year in K-drama Descendants of the Sun. Recently, she has publically announced her plan to marry another Hallyu star Song Joong-ki in the coming autumn. Jackson Pizza located in Hannam-dong is known to be Song’s favorite pizzeria in Seoul and has appeared in several K-TV shows. f(x)'s Luna has also mentioned of Jackson Pizza’s Chicago-style pizzas and French fries on a K-TV show as “the food items of [her] life.” Song’s go-to choice at the restau  


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Myeongdong

A foreign tourist exclusive hotel, Click Hotel is located in Myeong-dong, the shopper’s heaven. As Namdaemun Market and Myeong-dong is close, it is convenient to shop around and there are many tourist attractions such as Namsan, Chungmuro, Deoksugung, and Korea House in short distance. Japanese-speaking staffs are waiting 24 hours to provide perfect service, and a transformer is installed in each room for tourist’s convenience upon using electric appliance.


Seoul(Yongsan-gu) , Itaewon・Yongsan

Hyochang Park covers 122,245 square meters spanning across Hyochang-dong and Cheongpa 2-dong. It is a historic landmark that once contained several royal tombs, and was known at that time as Hyochangwon. The cemeteries that were originally located in Hyochangwon belonged to Crown Prince Munhyo (King Jeongjo’s first son, who died only at the age of five), Royal Noble Consort Uibin of the Seong Clan (King Jeongjo’s royal concubine and Crown Prince Munhyo’s mother), Royal Noble Consort Sugui of the Park Clan (King Sunjo’s royal concubine), and her daughter Princess Yeongon. The royal tombs were moved to Seooreung Tombs in the waning months of the Japanese colonial period. The Japanese empire began the development of Hyochangwon into a park in 1924, and the Japanese governor-general officially assigned the site as a park in 1940.Presently, several of Korea’s greatest leaders are buried in Hyochang Park. The remains mostly belong to independence activists including Yoon Bong-gil, Lee Bong-chang, and Baek Jeong-gi, whose graves are collectively known as “Samuisa-myo” (graves of the three martyrs). A statue of Lee Bong-chang has been built in the graveyard. Among the other patriotic martyrs who are interred in the park are Kim Gu and some of the key figures of provisional government such as Lee Dong-nyeong, Cha I-seok, and Cho Seong-hwan. An ancestral shrine named Uiyeolsa has been built along the main gate and holds the portraits of the deceased independence activists.


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Park Young Sook Bedding (Atelier Seoul) is the gallery of the modern potter, Park Young Sook. It displays and sells white porcelains representing the Chosun Dynasty, Buncheong ware, and ceramics with modern flavors. Various items include flower vases, decorative ceramics, and daily use earthen ware. Park Young Sook also opened her store (PAHK NY) Lin New York in 2002. Queen Elizabeth II of England visited her store in 1999 as well.


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

The Korean Embroidery Museum, which was founded in 1976, is privately funded by Heo Dong-Hwa, and is a place where you can view the artistry of women from the Joseon Period. Embroidery is a picture drawn on leather or cloth using needle and thread. Displayed in this museum are about 1000 works of embroidery by women from the Joseon Period (1392-1910). You can see Buddhist embroideries, cloth wrappers, various cloths, and pleated sheets featuring traditional Korean patterns and colors. Starting with the '500 Years of Traditional Korean Embroidery' exhibition at the National Museum of Korea, the Korean Embroidery Museum has had 20 different exhibitions in many prestigious museums in Japan, the U.S, and other countries, that have garnered much praise. It has been at the forefront of running exhibits outside the country and of letting the world learn about the beauty of traditional Korean embroidery. It also publishes books about traditional embroidering methods. The museum is highly recommended for all who want to experience the beauty of traditional Korean embroidery.