Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Located close to Dongdaemun Gate and Cheonggyecheon Plaza, Haruyeonga is a great restaurant for a hearty meal after sightseeing or shopping in the surrounding area.Haruyeonga specializes in meat and typical Korean dinning options, including bibimbap with marinated pork, spicy ribs and doenjang stew (bean paste stew) with lean beef brisket. Their stir-fried small octopus is also popular. The Jeju roasted black pork is another must try dish as it is grilled over hardwood charcoal.


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(Songpa-gu) , Jamsil(Lotte World)

Home Plus Jamsil Branch can be easily reached via subway lines 2 or 8 and is in close proximity to Special Tourist Zones, Seokchon Lake and the Hangang River dock, thus attracting many foreign tourists. The store also has a POS self payment line where shoppers can make payments easily just by touching the screen and don’t need assistance from a staff member. However, English speaking staff members are available for a more convenient shopping experience.


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Namdaemun・Seoul-Station

The old building of the Seoul train station was designed by Tsukamoto Yasushi, a professor of Tokyo University. Construction of the station started in June, 1922 and was completed in September, 1925. Due to its unique domed roof and large size, the station attracted much attention in its early years.After Korea regained its independence from under Japanese colonial rule, the station’s name was changed from ‘Gyeongseong Station’ to ‘Seoul Station’. During the Korean War, the station was partially destroyed but later restored. After Korea began industrializing after the war, the South annex and West annex were constructed to handle the increasing transportation volume.In 2004 when the privately-funded new station was constructed, the old station closed down, but after reconstruction in 2011 opened as a multicultural space called ‘Culture Station Seoul 284’. The main section (Jungang Hall) is for performances, exhibitions, events, and cafés, while the 2nd floor houses a hall that serves as a venue for cultural performances, exhibitions, academic seminars, business meetings, and more.


Seoul(Yongsan-gu) , Itaewon・Yongsan

At Goam Sikdang, you can have refreshingly spicy budae jjigae, a stew of sausages, meat and vegetables. The budae jjigae at this restaurant tastes more authentically Korean than Itaewon-style budae jjigae, which usually includes processed cheese. This restaurant is famous in the Itaewon area for its delicious food.   spicy budae jjigae, a stew of sausages, meat and vegetables.            


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

The Templestay Information Center is located across the street from Jogyesa Temple, and can easily be accessed from Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line3) or from Insa-dong Cultural Street. The center is a five-story cultural complex that houses the main Templestay offices, an information center, education center, a traditional temple restaurant called “Balwoo Gongyang”, the Lotus Cafe, and a Buddhist bookstore on the basement floor. The Templestay Information Center on the first floor handles all general information concerning Templestay programs. Here one can pick up pamphlets and other brochures about the programs, as well as get answers to questions. The Education Center on the third floor has facilities for both seated programs and open rooms for other activities. The fifth floor houses a restaurant called “Balwoo Gongyang”, specializing in traditional temple food, where one can taste the carefully prepared dishes, handmade by Buddhist practitioners.


Seoul(Yeongdeungpo-gu) , Yeouido・Yeongdeungpo・Mapo

Beautiplex offers diverse brands from both Korea and abroad. Main brands include Isaknox, Sooryehan, Cathycat, Vonin (men's cosmetic brand), Laha, Carezone, Beyond, Nansb. The last four brands can only be purchased at Beautyplex. Customers can get their skin diagnosed by professional shop assistants. 


Seoul(Jongno-gu)

Mibo Jewelry carries a wide selection of necklaces, rings and earrings made with gold, silver and other precious gemstones like diamond, ruby, sapphire, pearl, etc. The most popular items include diamond rings, luxury watches, gold rings and necklaces. Moreover, at Mibo Jewelry, customers may design their own jewelry for purchase.


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

The National Library of Korea is where numerous materials are collected and preserved. It currently holds approximately 4.3 million books and theses, of which roughly two-hundred thousand are collected annually. Art exhibitions are occasionally held in the exhibition room on the first floor. Surrounded by Seocho Park, the scenery outside is beautiful and the atmosphere is very relaxing. If you would like to have fun partaking in other activities, take a ten-minute walk to the Express Bus Terminal nearby. Central City is connected to both a shopping center and theater. You can also go to different provinces from the bus terminal. But it would be nice to visit the library and spend some time reading before going on a trip out of Seoul.At the National Library of Korea, classical concerts are held exclusively for the library users on the last Friday of each month, except in January and August. Anyone who comes to the library can attend the concert for free. The Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra and the famous conductor Geum Nan-Sae perform for the audience. Do not miss this unique opportunity.


Seoul(Jung-gu) , Myeongdong

Following extensive years in researching about kimchi and its scientific benefits, Samkim has succeeded in producing its own unique brand of kimchi that is unique in flavor and quality.Many dishes at the Samkim restaurant combine kimchi and pork belly ('samgyeopsal' in Korean) since kimchi researchers found that the two foods seem to complement each other perfectly (hence, the name was made combining the two words' first syllable). According to researchers’ findings, kimchi raises your metabolism rate slightly as you eat, reducing the amount of fat that the body takes in while eating the pork belly.To apply its kimchi findings, Samkim opened restaurants all across the country, starting with its flagship restaurant in Myeong-dong. Some of the most popular dishes among both foreign and local diners are the kimchi stew, kimchi pancake and rolled kimchi.