See What Seouls Ritzy Gangnam Neighborhood Is Really All About

Before the 1960s, Gangnam Was Farmland. The Rest Is a Story About Government Policy.

The transformation of the south bank of the Han River from flood plain to Seoul’s most expensive real estate was deliberate urban planning, not organic growth. The government’s decision in the 1960s to develop Gangnam-gu into an upscale residential and commercial zone was successful beyond most projections: today, Gangnam has the highest concentration of plastic surgery clinics in the world, some of the most expensive real estate in Asia, and a reputation so significant that PSY’s 2012 song about it became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views.

The district is genuinely unlike the rest of Seoul and worth half a day, though it is not the Seoul that most Koreans inhabit.

What Gangnam Actually Contains

The district visitors most often explore is Apgujeong and neighbouring Cheongdam-dong, just west of the main Gangnam station. This is where Korean designer brand flagships sit alongside Chanel and Prada, and where Garosu-gil (tree-lined street) runs through a neighbourhood of boutiques, galleries, and cafes. Come on a weekday morning for the quietest version.

Gangnam-gu has the highest density of plastic surgery clinics on earth, and Apgujeong Rodeo Street has the luxury car dealerships, K-pop entertainment company offices, and cosmetics shops that reflect that economy. SM Entertainment, JYP, and YG all have headquarters nearby. The fans gathered outside those buildings on any given afternoon are part of the neighbourhood’s working atmosphere.

Bongeunsa Temple

The most unexpected thing in Gangnam is a Buddhist temple that has been here since 794 CE, now surrounded by the COEX convention centre and glass towers. Bongeunsa serves an active congregation, runs meditation programmes for foreigners (typically 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 the temple is worth 30 to 45 minutes of anyone’s time in the district.

COEX and the Starfield Library

COEX is a large underground mall, convention centre, and aquarium complex. Most of it is ordinary commercial space. The Starfield Library inside the mall – a two-storey open atrium filled floor-to-ceiling with books arranged in a curved design – is genuinely impressive in person and photographs extremely well. Free to enter. Skip the aquarium, which is overpriced relative to what Seoul’s other options offer.

Eating

For Korean barbecue, Cheongdam-dong has upscale restaurants where samgyeopsal (pork belly) and galbi (short rib) are cooked tableside and cost KRW 30,000 to 60,000 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. The honest advice: Gangnam is worth visiting for Bongeunsa, the Starfield Library, and Garosu-gil, but for serious eating the north bank is better per won spent.

Exit Gangnam station and go down into the underground arcade. Several food court levels serve lunch sets for KRW 8,000 to 12,000 per person.

Getting There

Line 2 (green) from central Seoul stops at Gangnam, Sinnonhyeon, and Samseong stations. Journey from Hongdae or City Hall is 20 to 30 minutes. The T-Money card covers all public transit.