See What Seouls Ritzy Gangnam Neighborhood Is Really All About

Gangnam: The Seoul Neighbourhood That Lives Up to Its Reputation and Also Doesn’t

Gangnam is south of the Han River, politically in Gangnam-gu district, and it is wealthy in the specific way that Korean wealth tends to manifest: plastic surgery clinics, luxury brand flagships, private tutoring centres (hagwons), and coffee shops that cost as much as a meal in most other Seoul neighbourhoods. It is genuinely unlike the rest of Seoul and worth half a day from any itinerary, though it is not where most travellers should base themselves.

What Gangnam Actually Is

Before the 1960s, Gangnam was farmland and flood plain. The government’s decision to develop the south bank of the Han River into an upscale residential and commercial zone was deliberate policy, and it worked. Today, Gangnam station (subway lines 2 and Sinbundang) is one of the busiest in Korea, surrounded by underground shopping arcades that extend for kilometres and above-ground streets lined with cosmetics shops, luxury boutiques, and restaurants with line-drawn menus on whiteboards.

The district that tourists most often visit is actually Apgujeong and its neighbour Cheongdam-dong, just west of the main Gangnam station area. This is where flagship stores for Korean designer brands sit alongside Chanel and Prada, and where the famous Garosu-gil (tree-lined street) runs through a neighbourhood of boutiques, galleries, and cafes that is genuinely pleasant to walk. Come on a weekday morning if you want it quiet.

Bongeunsa Temple

The most unexpected thing in Gangnam is a functioning Buddhist temple that has been here since 794 AD, now surrounded by the COEX convention centre and a forest of glass towers. Bongeunsa serves an active congregation, runs meditation programmes for foreigners (typically on Sunday mornings, free, in English), and has a giant wooden standing Buddha visible over the surrounding wall. Entry is free. The contrast with the surrounding blocks is striking and worth 30 minutes of anyone’s time.

COEX and the Starfield Library

COEX is a large underground mall, convention centre, and aquarium complex attached to the Bongeunsa subway station. Most of it is ordinary mall. The exception is the Starfield Library inside COEX mall, a two-storey open atrium filled floor-to-ceiling with books arranged in a curved design that photographs extremely well. It is genuinely impressive in person and free to enter. Ignore the aquarium, which is overpriced and not good enough to compete with Seoul’s other attractions.

Apgujeong Rodeo Street

A kilometre or so west, Apgujeong Rodeo Street is where Korean celebrities and their fans converge. There are a disproportionate number of plastic surgery clinics (Gangnam-gu has the highest density in the world), luxury car dealerships, and cosmetics shops. The K-pop entertainment company offices in neighbouring Cheongdam-dong occasionally have fans gathered outside. SM Entertainment, JYP, and YG all have headquarters nearby.

The food in this area runs expensive. For Korean barbecue specifically, the Cheongdam-dong area has upscale restaurants where samgyeopsal (pork belly) and galbi (short rib) are cooked tableside and cost 30,000-60,000 won per person. This is the expensive version of something you can eat extremely well for half the price in Mapo or Hongdae across the river.

Where to Eat Without Spending Too Much

Exit Gangnam station and go down into the underground arcade. Several floors of food courts and small restaurants serve lunch sets for 8,000-12,000 won. For something more interesting, Nonhyeon market near Hakdong station (line 7) has a traditional covered market with fruit, vegetables, and cooked food stalls that is largely Korean-speaking but navigable by pointing.

The best food in Seoul is not in Gangnam. For serious eating, Noryangjin Fish Market (west of Gangnam, near the Han River), Gwangjang Market in Jongno, and the neighbourhood restaurants around Mapo Bridge are more rewarding per won spent.

Getting There

Line 2 (green) from central Seoul stops at Gangnam, Sinnonhyeon, and Samseong stations. Journey from Hongdae or City Hall is 20-30 minutes. The T-Money card (buy at any convenience store for 3,000 won, recharge at machines) covers all public transit and some convenience store purchases.

Gangnam is worth the trip, mainly for Bongeunsa, the Starfield Library, and Garosu-gil. For the full Korean luxury consumer experience it is unmatched. Just do not expect it to show you the Seoul that most Koreans actually inhabit.