Sangam-dong
Heart of the Korean Wave
This course is the day segment of the Sangam & Hongdae one-day tour, designed to give you the full Korean Wave experience. Sangam-dong, the new Hallyu headquarters with several major production and broadcasting companies, is perfect for a day trip, while Hongdae, four subway stops away, is the scene where Korean culture, both pop and indie, manifests, especially at night.
First opened in 2002, Samgam-dong’s Digital Media City is the high-tech and architectural inspired heart of Korea’s entertainment and digital content industry. This is where you’ll find broadcasters, entertainment companies, movie theaters and tributes to many of your Korean Wave stars. It’s also a very pleasant and somewhat underrated spot to spend a couple of hours wandering about the steel and glass monuments to the international giant Korea’s cultural industry has become.
Course : Digital Media City Station, Exit 9 → SBS Prism Tower → MBC Contents World Tour → Star Park → Korean Film Archive → CJ E&M → Back to Digital Media City Station, Exit 9 (4 stops to Hapjeong Station)
This walking tour begins at the SBS Prism Tower. Our walking tour begins at SBS Prism Tower, an imposing glass skyscraper that is home to Korean TV broadcaster SBS. The building really shines on sunny days, when the sky reflects off the glass exterior like a mirror. It’s mostly office space, so there’s not a whole lot to do here on most days other than take in the artwork in the first floor lobby, but on 2PM Sunday and 6PM on Tuesdays, it hosts open broadcasts of K-pop shows Ingi Gayo and The Show: All About K-pop, respectively. Admission is first come-first serve.
In broadcaster’s Content World Tour, meanwhile, you can get a high-tech introduction to the world of Korean dramas. Admission is by reservation only (http://withmbc.imbc.com/center/studiotour/studiotour/index.html), but this is well-worth it as you’ll not only gain access to MBC’s digital hall of fame, with plenty of video content to enjoy, but also Cube Box theater and a number of fun, hands-on exhibits like an open news desk, open stage and a Korean Wave content zone. Also be sure to check out the Golden Mouths, awards given out to some of the industry’s top radio hosts. Fan of radio will also want to check out the Garden Studio, an open radio studio where live broadcasts are sometimes held depending on the day of the week.
Star Park is the open plaza that connects the Digital Media City together. You’ll find hand-printings by your favorite Korean Wave stars here and there, as well as an ice rink and some intriguing examples of public art. Also nearby is the Memorial Tree, actually a small forest with trees named after K-pop stars like Girls’ Generation and Super Junior. The trees were planted thanks to donations by fans.
A must-visit for any self-respecting fan of film, the Korean Film Archive is the Library of Alexandria of Korean cinema. There’s a museum here, of course, but the real draw is Cinematheque KOFA, a theater with regular screenings of classic Korean films and international art house cinema. Best of all, tickets are free. Lectures and exhibits related to Korean cinema are held here, too.
The corporate headquarters of Korean entertainment giant CJ is mostly off-limits to the public, but the lobby has some hand-printings, a digital experience hall and a TV broadcasting set to look at. The second floor, meanwhile, is hope to an open studio where, if you get there early enough, you can sit in the audience of popular music show M Countdown every Thursday at 6PM. Admission is first come-first serve.
※This content is based on Korea Culture & Tourism Institute’s R&D project to analyze big data compiled from roaming services.
