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Step out of Seongsu Station Exit 4, and the first thing you notice is the long line of people. A pink-wrapped building looms ahead, its facade printed with the familiar face of an idol group member. It’s a pop-up store unveiling a new beauty device, fronted by IVE’s Jang Wonyoung. These days, scenes of people queuing outside pop-ups and restaurants have become part of Seongsu’s everyday landscape. As one trend analyst put it, modern-day luxury lies in the “real-time,” meaning in experiences you can only access right here and right now. And that is precisely what draws the crowds. Seongsu has become the epicenter where MZ-generation trends are born and spread. Every day, a new pop-up opens its doors, flagship stores debut, and creative, characterful shops tucked into side streets keep redefining Seoul’s lifestyle scene.

Beauty Theme Park: Olive YoungN Seongsu

In sports, a star player is what changes the flow and moves the game. On Yeonmu-dong-gil, where fashion brands used to dominate, the sudden surge in beauty events this year is thanks to one new player: Olive Young N Seongsu. Even if you’re not a self-proclaimed “beauty geek,” once you step inside, one or two hours slip away like magic. The store is packed with experiential content you can’t find online: photo booths, skin/scalp/personal color consultations, hands-on beauty device trials, makeup sessions, and even home-care classes. More than just product testing, you can walk away with personalized tips from professionals, and the advice is so good that visitors do not mind the long waits.

Launched in late November 2024 to mark Olive Young’s 25th anniversary, ‘Olive YoungN Seongsu’ has quickly become a sensation. It brings Korea’s indie beauty brands together under one roof across a massive 1,400-pyeong (about 46,000 sq. ft.) space. Each floor has its own concept, materials, and layout, complete with carefully curated scents that match the atmosphere, keeping the experience fresh from start to finish.

The first floor, N. Playground, is designed like a plaza that flows naturally into the streets of Seongsu. Built to transform depending on the occasion, it regularly hosts pop-up events by different brands. The Café Stand introduces new collaborative menus each month, while the Photo Booth offers free four-cut photos to the first 300 visitors every day. Since you can capture your transformed look after testing beauty products, lines here tend to be quite long.

The second floor is dedicated to Beauty & Culture, and the third floor operates as Skin & Wellness. On the second floor, the Lux Edit section curated by Olive Young allows visitors to experience stylish and trendy brands across categories like color, luxury, and fragrance. With reservations in advance, you can enjoy professional beauty services for free, such as makeup sessions and personal color consultations.

The Skin & Wellness floor focuses on supporting a balanced lifestyle, carrying products from skincare to hair and body. It is divided into two main sections: Daily Skin and Active Skincare. The sheet mask section in particular attracts large crowds. With a reservation, you can receive skin or scalp diagnostics and try out aesthetic brands and beauty devices designed to support home care.

The fourth floor functions as a VIP lounge, with access granted after a membership tier check at the entrance. Any Olive Young VIP member can stop by during shopping, settle into a plush sofa, and enjoy stylish desserts and drinks. The usage time is generous, with up to two hours allowed.

Tip. How to reserve programs at Olive Young N Seongsu

Each service has its own reservation process. The photo booth is available on a first-come-first-served basis for 300 people each day. For the Home Care Lesson (a one-on-one skincare consultation with a beauty consultant) and Pick Your Vibe (a themed makeup service curated by Olive Young), advance reservations are required. New slots open every Friday at noon for the following week, and reservations can be made through the Olive Young N website.

Olive Young N Seongsu

13, Yeonmujang 7-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Factoryal Seongsu)

 Monday–Sunday 10:00–22:00
 118m from Seongsu Station (Line 2), Exit 4

Instagram:  @oliveyoung_official

 Website:  https://www.oliveyoung.co.kr

A Seated Culinary World Tour: Glow Seongsu

A few years ago, word spread that a new hotspot with a distinctly Southeast Asian vibe had opened in Seongsu-dong. People said there was even a pond at the entrance and a space where you entered by boat. This was the Glow Showroom, a cultural complex created by the café Howzoozibbo and the Thai restaurant Saladaeng Temple. Earlier this summer, news came that Glow Showroom had been transformed into a culinary curation space. When new pop-up stores open every day and long lines form outside, it can also signal that the hype of a once-bustling hotspot has started to fade. In a neighborhood where change moves fast, staying ahead of trends requires introducing new rhythms into the pace of transformation.

The space-branding company Glow Seoul converted the Glow Showroom into Glow Seongsu, a culinary curation venue showcasing flavors and cultures from around the world. Instead of fixed tenants, brands rotate seasonally and in line with current trends, meaning a new pop-up opens every season. Currently, Glow Seongsu features Chang Chang, offering Hong Kong-style menbosha and bus; Da Xi Jia, a Singaporean prawn noodle shop recognized by the Michelin Bib Gourmand; My San Fran, where you can enjoy San Francisco-style fish and chips; and the wellness smoothie brand Avobo. With its affordable prices, Glow Seongsu lets visitors experience global cuisine and has been steadily growing in popularity.

The bridge connecting the pond and pavilion at the entrance has become a popular photo spot, often with lines of people waiting to take pictures. At night, candles floating on the pond are lit, adding a romantic touch. Outdoor tables circle the pond, making it an ideal setting to savor seasonal moods alongside delicious food.

Tip. How to use Glow Seongsu

Think of it as a Seongsu-dong version of a food court. First, find a seat. Then, tag the table stand with your phone or scan the QR code with your camera to open the order page. Add your desired menu items to the cart and complete payment. If the order goes through successfully, you’ll receive a KakaoTalk notification; head to the corresponding booth to pick up your food. Seating is plentiful, with indoor areas on the 1st and 2nd floors, outdoor tables, and a separate annex building.

Glow Seongsu

32, Seongsui-ro 16-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Building 3

 Monday–Sunday 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)
 757m from Seongsu Station (Line 2), Exit 3 

Instagram @glow_seongsu.official

A Sensory Gift Curation Shop, Repertory Seongsu

As Seongsu-dong urbanized, small factories moved in, and for a long time the area developed as a mix of residential spaces and industrial sites. When artisanal handmade shoes of high quality became popular here, foot traffic increased, bringing with it a variety of cultural venues. Over time, these stories accumulated, turning Seongsu into one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Korea.

Yeonmujang-gil, where Repertory Seongsu is located, is a street where the “tree rings” of Seongsu’s history are most vividly visible. After passing sparkling pop-up stores and brand collaboration galleries, a worn-down entrance leads into an old apartment-style factory building. It almost feels unbelievable that such a refined shop could be hidden here. At the far end of Building “Na-dong,” across the factory courtyard, you’ll find Repertory Seongsu.

This gift curation shop opened in April 2025 and showcases unique objects and works by emerging artists. Instead of filling the space with merchandise, Repertory Seoul arranges antique furniture and emphasizes open space, creating a gallery-like atmosphere.

Here you can find handmade mini keyrings and dried pollack talisman objects by Miniki, soft fabric book covers by Mergy, metal mobiles and bells by Obso, as well as leather goods from Sienna Leather House and a vintage-inspired silver jewelry collection crafted entirely by hand. Most of all, pay attention to the section beside the counter, which highlights objets by up-and-coming artists. It’s a chance to encounter unique handcrafted pieces you might not be able to purchase again.

Repertory Seongsu

49, Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (1F, ‘Na-dong’ Building)

 Monday–Sunday 11:30–20:00
 316m from Seongsu Station (Line 2), Exit 4

Instagram @repertory_seongsu

A Little Post Office of Scents: Postes Seongsu Boutique

Graphic designer and perfume collector Mok Young-gyo, after launching the niche perfume label Pesade, introduced yet another fragrance brand, Postes, opening a boutique on Yeonmujang-gil in late April 2025. Postes specializes in genderless eau de parfums, subtle and soft fragrances that appeal to all.

The name “Postes,” French for post office, traces back to brand director Lee Sang-baek’s childhood memory. His girlfriend at the time would spray her favorite perfume onto the letters she sent him. Even now, when he opens those letters, the scent of those years returns. Perfume, after all, has a singular power: it stirs emotions and summons memory.

Dreaming of crafting scents like postcards that encapsulate a city’s air, fleeting moments, and emotions, he developed fragrances inspired by fragments of light unique to places he had traveled. The Amalfi Coast’s sea, Otaru’s glasswork, and the shimmering waters of Saint-Tropez all became part of his creations. Echoing his habit of writing postcards to himself during solo journeys, each fragrance is named with “From” followed by a city, such as From Amalfi or From Otaru.

The boutique itself is designed as “a small post office delivering beautiful scents.” Styled like an old European post office, the space draws inspiration from weathered bronze mailboxes and mint-colored vintage stamps. The packaging reflects this, with artist Saki collaborating on a handwritten-letter motif. At Postes Seongsu, fragrance cards take the form of postcards. After sampling, visitors can write a note and slip it into a mailbox on-site, and Postes will mail it to the recipient free of charge. It is a way of gifting not only a message but also the memory of a scent.

Postes Seongsu Boutique

77, Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (1F)

 Mon–Sun, 11:00–20:00
 397m from Seongsu Station (Line 2), Exit 3

Instagram @postes_official

Seongsu-dong was once called the “Brooklyn of Seoul.” In the late 1950s, as urbanization accelerated, small factories were established in Ttukseom and the surrounding areas of Seongsu-dong. By the 1970s, steel, printing, and wig factories had been built. When Kumkang Shoes relocated to Geumho-dong in 1967, related businesses that had been scattered across Myeong-dong, Yeomcheongyo, and Geumho-dong gathered in Seongsu-dong, forming a hub for handmade shoes. However, the IMF financial crisis and the influx of Chinese products led many factories to go bankrupt. By around 2010, the area had shifted from shoe manufacturing factories to shops selling artisan-made shoes. Yeonmujang-gil, starting from Exit 4 of Seongsu Station, became the center of this handmade shoe street. As the shoe street gained popularity, struggling artists and young designers moved in, adding creative energy to the once-barren factory district. Workshops also functioned as cafés, and they hosted various cultural events outside of working hours, serving as cultural spaces. The combination of these energies helped transform this area into a hub for fashion, beauty, pop-ups, and flagship stores. Visitors are encouraged to experience the unrefined charm of Seongsu-dong, where traces of the past still remain.