The New Archive of Travel Information of the Charming City of Seoul Begins. 2023 Seoul K-Wave Travel Guide “Person:able Seoul”

Once you decide to go on a trip and pick the destination, gathering information about the destination is the thing you do the most. You search for information about what kind of a city your travel destination is, what places you can’t miss out on, and what to shop for. As the Internet is a sea of information, all this information is thrown at you the moment you type in the keyword. Too much information gets erased from the memory fast, including the information you need to know. That’s why you need a guidebook.

A guidebook for those traveling to Seoul, the global hub city where traditions, modernity, nature, and urban scenery form a beautiful harmony, has been released. It’s called “Person:able Seoul,” which refers to how charming Seoul is with its people. With Daytrip, the travel application that finds you the hidden charms of the city, this guidebook has selected even more charming spaces and places in the hottest districts in Seoul, which are Gangnam, Hongdae, Jongno, Seongsu, and Yongsan, and tells the stories of those spaces after cultural creators of those districts have visited the areas. Let’s begin the joy of traveling in Seoul with this guidebook, filled with the charms of Seoul, the origin of the K-wave, the hottest culture in the world right now.

The 2023 Seoul K-wave travel guidebook “Person:able Seoul” introduces 100 insightful and hottest places in five districts (Gangnam, Hongdae, Jongno, Seongsu, and Yongsan) attracting the most attention from domestic and foreign Hallyu fans and tourists. The guidebook has various categories: “Tourist attractions,” where you can see the beautiful culture of Korea with your own eyes; “Restaurants and Cafes,” which introduces the places that represent the gourmet city of Seoul; “Places for Shopping,” where you can personally experience and see the K-life such as K-fashion and K-beauty that are the trending in the world now; and “Musical Attractions,” where you can enjoy not only K-pop, which started the K-wave, but also the kind of music and distinct entertainment that Koreans enjoy. In short, everything you need to know about traveling to Seoul, the city of charm and charming people, is in the guidebook.

The biggest characteristic of “Person:able Seoul” is that it’s not just a list of places to visit. It also includes people and stories. Five local creative creators from different districts with different charms, which are Gangnam, Hongdae, Jongno, Seongsun, and Yongsan, share what makes their district so charming. Stories told by the locals who know their districts the best help you get to know the charm of Seoul that you wouldn’t have found out otherwise. “Person:able Seoul” is a guidebook with vividness and stories that take you to the alleys of Seoul as they are right in front of your eyes. You can get all the details by finding “Person:able Seoul” in the link below and downloading it for free.

Gangnam, the commercial district with the most billboard advertisements in Seoul, is always dazzling. But you can’t simply look at Gangnam, where you see a forest of endless buildings, department stores, and global luxury brand stores, as fancy. If you look closely, Gangnam is where nature and culture are hidden amid the forest of buildings. Jaejin Lee, the bartender who owns Le Chamber, a famous cocktail bar in Gangnam, and won 4th place in the global bartender competition World Class, explains that Gangnam is the trendiest place in Korea and where the style that is ahead of its time is made. Although this is the case, he says there’s an unexpected soft vibe in the unseen side of Gangnam.

There’s Dosan Park in Apgujeong, the place filled with the hottest restaurants for foodies, and there’s the 1,200-year-old temple Bongeunsa next to the cultural complex called COEX. Nearby Galleria Department Store, the place of ultimate fanciness, there are cultural complexes of brands such as Maison Hermes Dosan Park, Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul, Hyundai Motor Studio, House Dosan, Maison Southcape Dosan Park, MANMADE Dosan, and Boon the Shop Cheongdam. There are also galleries such as SongEun Art Space, Horim Museum, and also galleries from abroad such as Perrotin, Gladstone, König Seoul, and Tang Contemporary Art Seoul. You can fully experience the daily life of Koreans in the Seokchon Lake area, a place well-known for its cherry blossoms, Seoul’s landmark Han River parks Banpo Hangang Park, and Sevit Island. In the guidebook, you can also get to know in detail about Hotel Anteroom Seoul, a hotel filled with artistic inspiration; places for gormet experience such as the 2-star Michelin restaurant Mingles as well as Cheongdam Nine, Kwonsooksoo, Seogwanmyeonog, and 19 October Seoul; places for music enthusiasts such as Compact Record Bar, and Mood Seoul by Get All Right Some Solvit; and cafes for a moment of relaxation while enjoying traveling such as Magpie & Tiger Sinsa Tearoom, FELT Coffee Dosan, and Sikmulgwan PH. To find out more about the charm of Gangnam, the district filled with charming surprises, in “Person:able Seoul,” click here!

The streets of Hongdae are the best place in Seoul to enjoy entertainment and culture. The streets are filled with live bars, clubs, and busking performances throughout the streets. At the same time, prices are cheaper compared to other regions as Hongdae is home to many universities. That’s why young souls do not stop flocking to Hongdae. Gyeongrok Han, a member of the band performing in Hongdae called Crying Nut, is one of the people who knows Hongdae the best as he lives and performs there. There’s a saying that the three holidays in Hongdae are Christmas, Halloween, and Gyeongrok Day, which is his birthday. This is how much he represents Hongdae. He explains that Hongdae is like a display of culture filled with art, including music, romance, and passion.

These days, Hongdae is wider than the place near the entrance of Hongik University. It has expanded to nearby areas such as Sangsu, Mangwon, Hapjeong, and Yeonnam, and is home to so many cafes, clubs, restaurants, and art shops. There are bars where you can enjoy music, such as Midopa, Yeonnam5701, Jebidabang, and Club Evans; cafes with unique concepts, such as Perlen, Anthracite Seogyo, Imi Coffee, Eert Mangwon, Perception, and Café Mulgyul; restaurants like Base is Nice and Tas; cultural complexes such as Checkngrow, and cultural spaces such as Culture Tank, where you can see the identities of regions known for art and culture, all in Hongdae. As Hongdae is known for leading the trend, there are well-known fashion showrooms, including Musinsa Terrace Hongdae, Orr Seoul, This is Never That, and Sisology Hongdae Showroom. If you want to rest, you can’t forget the Gyeongui Line Forest Park and Haneul Park, where you can relax and enjoy nature. In the guidebook, you can find out more about Hongdae and its spots, as told by Gyeongrok Han, the man behind Gyeongrok Day. If you’d like to gain some youthful energy, head to Hongdae, Seoul. For more information about Hongdae, you can refer to “Person:able Seoul.”

Jongno is the center of Korea. All four major palaces of Joseon were and are located in Jongno, and they still play a role as the center. Like folding screens, natural attractions such as Bugaksan and Inwangsan surround the Jongno area. The remaining gorgeousness of Korean traditions, such as the Hanoks in Bukchon and Seochon makes you feel the lyrical beauty Jongno possesses. Jae Hoon Lee, owner, and chef of Ca’del Lupo, a restaurant located in Seochon, points out that traveling and cooking share a similarity in that they make full use of all the five senses. As a chef who cooks Italian food in a Hanok, he says the charm of Jongno is the beauty of nature delivered by the four seasons and the lyricism from old alleys and Hanok. Jongno, an attractive area of classical grace and dignity, is the best place for traveling within history and culture.

Above all, palaces must be included when considering Jongno. In the largest of the four palaces of Joseon, Gyeongbokgung, you can enjoy the different beauties in all four seasons, day and night. The must-visit historical and cultural destinations in Jongno include the recently reopened Gwanghwamun Square, Jahamun Tunnel, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul if you are a film buff, and the Seoul Craft Museum. Wonderful 1 Star Michelin restaurants such as Onjium, Zero Complex, and Mishmash, and great music bars and cafes such as Delphic, Bar Cham, Seoul Sang Hoe, la Cle, Chunnyundongando, Sil nak won, Clique Records, and Music Complex Seoul will satisfy all your five senses while traveling in the district of Jongno. You can also discover many venues for cultural experiences in Jongno, such as Uhjjuhdah Promenade, Chungwoon Literature Library, Piknic, and Sulwhasoo Bukchon flagship store. The attractions of Jongno are more memorable as a travel destination, as it is a place where you can closely encounter the in-depth cultural and historical heritage that only old cities hold. Let’s go on a special trip and feel Seoul’s past and present by walking through the alleys where the living and breathing traces of time lie. To know more about the treasure-like hidden places in Jongno, refer to “Person:able Seoul.”

The area in Seoul that changed the most and is likely to continue to change is Seongsu. Seongsu, originally an industrial area with factories, suddenly emerged as the hippest place in Seoul. New pop-up stores and exhibitions are held day after day, and Seongsu opens up as a cultural complex. Factory buildings, commercial facilities, and complex spaces harmonized and created a new atmosphere. Misol So, a stylist, and editor at Musinsa, a representative fashion platform in Korea, describes Seongsu as a place where every alley gives a sense of being in a different world that changes drastically. She thinks that the combination of difference and disorder makes Seongsu rather trendy and says that Seongsu is a neighborhood where its charm can be seen when looking at it more closely. It will be a big mistake to think of Seongsu as a neighborhood with only hip and trendy shops. Above all things, the Seoul Forest is in Seongsu. The Seoul Forest, which can remind you of New York’s Central Park, is an excellent place to spend time and relax with family and lovers in the city center. Seongsu features natural attractions such as Songjeong embankment, a beautiful walkway that leads to the Seoul Forest, and Achasan, where you can enjoy fabulous views and nightscapes. Seongsu-dong café street, stretching widely from Seongsu station to Konkuk Univ. Station, offers the joy of finding a hidden café of your type.

When you think of Seoul, one of the first things that come to mind is the N Seoul Tower. Yongsan is where the N Seoul Tower is located, a landmark of Seoul that is like a sign indicating that this is Seoul. Maybe because it is located in the middle of Gangbuk and Gangnam, Yongsan is an attractive area that seems to have harmoniously and evenly absorbed the nature and culture of the Gangbuk traditions and Gangnam dynamics. Jihye Lee, a florist, and CEO of Beige.Hye, said her settling in Huam-dong was fateful after looking for a place all over Seoul. She compared Yongsan to a leaf (grass) next to a flower. She says it is a place with a presence that makes the center more beautiful while being one step away from it rather than shining brightly in it. Yongsan has a different look for each neighborhood. Huam-dong, has a quiet walking path by Namsan Mountain, Sinyongsan, with large companies such as Amorepacific and Hybe, has the image of a city center, and Hannam-dong features a calm and luxurious atmosphere.

As one of the largest cities in the world, Seoul is like a treasure island full of things to see and do. Traveling with a good guidebook is a wise way to discover this city. If you want to take a sneak peek at Seoul’s sparkling charms, download the guidebook below. url There’s no need to carry a heavy book. Just download it once, and you can travel to Seoul anytime and anywhere, even without an Internet connection.