The influence of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) on international fans is something that cannot be ignored. Hallyu translates to “Korean wave”, and refers to the phenomenal growth in popularity of Korean popular culture across the world. This includes everything from music and movies to TV dramas, online games as well as Korean cuisine. Economists have also attributed the growth of the country’s economy thanks to the popularity of Korean pop culture across the world. As one of the biggest cultural phenomena across Asia, Hallyu has now led to K-pop/K-drama-based tours, that will take die-hard fans to the best K-pop/K-drama locations around the country.
# K-pop Lovers Must Head To K Star RoadLocated on the road leading to the Cheongdam intersection from Apgujeong Rodeo Station, K-Star Road is an actual street that features a variety of K-pop artefacts, including a large toy called Gangnamdol. Usually bustling with energy and excitement, this road covers four zones across Sinsadong, Nonhyeondong to Cheongdamdong.
There are 17 art toy statues that are 1.5 metres high, representing different popular K-pop bands (from the early days of Hallyu stars — Super Junior, FT. Island, Girls Generation and CNBLUE, as well as current heartthrobs EXO and BTS). The largest is a three-metre high art toy representing K-Star Road. Tourists can take pictures with these dolls, which represent the cultural buzz that has hit Korea since the Korean wave. Along with the dolls, the street also features numerous other products and shops associated with the entertainment companies that have created K-pop bands and large amounts of bright merchandise.
# Meet Your Oppa At K-pop Idol Entertainment Buildings
Seoul is where all the major K-pop record labels and entertainment companies are located. If you walk along the roads marked with Gangnamdols, you will enter a quiet residential neighbourhood packed with major entertainment companies, including JYP Entertainment, S.M. Entertainment, and FNC Entertainment. You can’t miss these buildings as hordes of fans usually gather outside to meet their oppas (older brother, usually used to address boyfriends) and unnies (older sister). Who knows? If luck favours you, you just might catch a glimpse of your bias (a K-pop term that refers to someone’s most favourite member in a K-pop band) in front of their entertainment building, or even meet them in real life!
# SMTOWN Museum For Your SM WorldSouth Korea’s largest entertainment company S.M. Entertainment has produced some of South Korea’s greatest K-pop groups such as Girl’s Generation, NCT 127, EXO, Super Junior etc. And if you’re a fan of S.M. Entertainment idols, there’s no cooler place to stay connected to them than SMTOWN Museum. Located at the SMTOWN@coexartium in Gangnam, this museum combines art and technology to create the best environment for you to interact with the archives of the artists. Along with various exhibits, this cultural space allows you to learn the history of top K-pop artists, from where they started to where they are today. You can also see their albums, stage costumes, and experience sessions of augmented reality with K-pop artists. The museum has an open studio where they hold live broadcasts hosted by your favourite SM artists where you can participate as the audience.
# Shopping Paradise For K-pop Merch: Myeongdong Underground Shopping MallThis treasure trove is the perfect spot for anyone who needs to buy albums and other K-pop merchandise from one single place. Located underneath Myeongdong station, Myeongdong Underground Shopping Center connects the area of Myeongdong with City Hall through an underground passage.
The densely packed shopping district is home to well-stocked music stores which offer CDs and DVDs, as well as a wide range of K-pop merchandise. The best part is that most of the things at these stores are sold slightly cheaper than anywhere else! One can shop in bulk, even items such as make-up, clothes, and souvenirs for loved ones back home.
# Snap K-drama Pictures At YongPyong StationRemember the bridge where Sunny and the Grim Reaper first laid eyes on each other in the hit K-drama ‘Goblin: The Lonely and Great God’? Yep, that’s Yongdap Station Bridge. Also known as the Sageunyongdapganindogyo Bridge, and in K-drama slang the Grim Reaper Bridge. It’s located on Seoul Subway Line 2 and gifts you the most fantastic views of the city. Right below the bridge, tourists can also entertain themselves in its many activities and tourist sites. It’s dotted with art installations as well as a workout park.
# Experience Marine Life At Aqua Planet 63Part of 63 Square (also known as 63 Building), Aqua Planet 63 (formerly 63 Seaworld) is the second-largest aquarium in South Korea. The aquarium is a four-story building located in Yeosu, a city in the South Jeolla province. It features over 20,000 marine creatures of around 400 different species. If you are a K-drama fan, you will remember the place from ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’. In episode three, Sim Chung comes here to meet Heo Joon-Jae and takes a swim in the aquarium (Joon-Jae really shows up at the aquarium in episode 4). He cannot remember her but saves her from the aquarium’s security guards and they both run out of the place. You can also watch several fantastic mermaid shows (swimmers performing an underwater show dressed as mermaids) in the aquarium every day.