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Beloved by Hallyu Stars 

Have Fun in Itaewon 
 

Itaewon is considered an exotic part of Seoul by Koreans, and it's best known for the great number of foreigners residents living there. After the Eighth U.S. Army was stationed in Itaewon in the 1950s, foreign official residences were also locatedhere.Itaewon then developed into the unofficial foreigner residential district. Later in 1997, more foreign restaurants and shopping areas were opened and the entire area was designated a tourist attraction by the government. Many different culturalcommunitiesexist in Itaewon and the area is sometimes referred to as a "foreign country" in Seoul. It's also famous as a place frequented by celebrities such as G-Dragon, Yoo A-In, and Yoo Yeon Suk. Spend a day having fun in Itaewon, a neighborhoodbeloved byHallyu stars.
 

 

Course 1: A Different Side of Actor Yoo A-In

Hangangjin Station is just 15 minutes from Itaewon's main drag, yet the area is quiet and secluded. Yoo A-In’s hideout is located right here. Yoo A-In is a member of the "10 million club," the 10 million is a reference to the number of tickets a filmsells.Yoo A-In was the hottest young actor of 2015 in terms of popularity. He starred in the drama "Six Flying Dragons," and the films "Sado," and "Veteran." He also heads the Studio Concrete, a gallery and cafe that is located just a 2 minute walk fromexit2 of Hangangjin Station. Studio Concrete's red brick building stands out and is easily spotted.



Studio Concrete is headed by Yoo A-In. He had always loved art and wanted to create a space where young artists could work, develop their ideas, and show their creativity. Studio Concrete's artists are a collaborative group and they were all born in the1980s.The artists thought up the gallery's name. The building is a typical old, run-down structure of the neighborhood, northern Hannam-dong, but it's been reborn as a place of creativity and art.



Studio Concrete is mixture of gallery, library and cafe. An interesting part of the Studio Concrete is that there is no wall between the gallery and cafe. Therefore, you can order a drink in the cafe, then enjoy it in any part of the building while enjoyingandappreciating the artwork. Even if you're not a huge fan of Yoo A-In, you can see the talent and skill of Seoul's young artists here, so it is worth visiting Studio Concrete.
 

 

Course 2: A Favorite Restaurant of Many Hallyu Stars – Bada Restaurant

Budae-jjigae (sausage stew) is a spicy dish made with Spam, sausage, baked beans and kimchi. It is a dish with ingredients from various cultures, befitting of a place like Itaewon, where many cultures co-exist. Bada Restaurant specializes in budae-jjigaeandit's located between Hannam-dong and Itaewon Station. This restaurant has been selected as one of the top 3 budae-jjigae spots in South Korea and it's well-known as a "must visit" restaurant. When you enter the restaurant, you can see autographs fromHallyustars such as G-Dragon, Girls' Generation and more.



The signature dish at Bada Restaurant is Johnson Soup. It's similiar to budae-jjigae and has the same ingredients, but Johnson Soup also has cabbage and cheese. There is also more Spam and sausage in Johnson Soup so the flavor is less spicy and moresavorythan budae-jiggae. With hot soup and a bowl of rice, you can endure all kinds of cold weather!
 

 

Course 3:  Wine and Moonlight - Lua Lounge  [Closed]  

Keep walking toward Itaewon station from Hannam-dong and you will see that there are various coffee shops and galleries along the road. Along this road you'll see the Line Friends Store. The Line messaging app is Asia's most popular messaging app andLineis famous for its adorable emoji and characters. The Line Friends Store, which sells merchandise with characters from the app, is located near the Lua Lounge. The Lua Lounge is right next to the 119 Safety Center. On one side of the 119 Safety Center,you'llfind the Line Friends Store and on the other side of the 119 Safety Center is the Lua Lounge.



Lua Lounge opens in the evenings and it is operated by one of the beloved actors from "Reply 1994," Yoo Yeon Suk. The word "lua" from Lua Lounge means moon in Portuguese. The lounge is located on the 6th floor and the rooftop. Thus, you can enjoy themoonlightand a night view of Itaewon with a glass of wine at Lua Lounge. Moreover, if you are fan of Yoo Yeon Suk, you may see him here quite often. Yoo personally handled the interior design for the lounge and every ornament, even the smallest decoration,waspersonally chosen by him. You can really get a sense of his style and interior design sense when you visit Lua Lounge. Enjoy the romantic atmosphere with port wine, risotto and other dishes that are not easily available in Seoul's markets and eateries.


  

 

 

"I Live Alone"

Tour the Beloved Hangouts of the "I Live Alone" Cast

       

Course 1:  Yuk Jungwan's Hangouts in Mangwon-Dong

Tour Course
Mangwon Hangang Park – Mangwon Market

Yuk Jungwan is best known as being the main singer of the rock band Rose Motel. Yuk also is well-known locally as a fixture of the Mangwon-dong neighborhood. He's resided in Mangwon-dong for years in a rooftop apartment and it popular with both his neighborsandother area residents. Mangwon Hangang Park is quite close to his home and in one episode of "I Live Alone," he headed out there with his guitar to get inspiration for songs. He ended up busking and drew a small crowd of locals with his impromptu performance.YukJungwan frequents the park whenever he needs to clear his mind or when he's in need of creative inspiration for one of his songs. If you're very luck you may end up running into him during a trip to the park.


 
The park is a great place to see the Han River and go on a leisurely walk. If you feel hungry after your time in the park, head to Mangwon Market. The market is located past Seongsan alley and Yuk Jungwan also frequents Mangwon Market. After his shoppingtripsto the market were aired on "I Live Alone" some people made jokes and referred to the market as Yuk Jungwan Market. Although Mangwon Market became better known after "I Live Alone" feature it several times, many other TV shows have filmed at thistraditionalmarket. Kang Minhyuk from CNBlue and the entertainer Kim Jongmin have also shopped here or filmed for TV at the market, but Yuk Jungwan probably frequents this market the most. Mangwon market sells goods of all sorts but there are also manysmall, low-pricedand tasty eateries here. 3,000 won is enough to buy a meal at some of the eateries. Queues Chicken is famous for their dak gangjeong (sweet and sour Chicken) and Hongdukke Kalguksu is a famous kal-guksu (noodle soup) shop.Both places are wellknown and popular so you may experience a long wait before you're served. A trip to Mangwon Market is a great way to experience a traditional Korean market and to eat great good at even better prices.
 

 

Course 2: Kim Dong Wan's Hangouts

Tour Course
Ansan Mountain Dulle-gil (Muak East Beacon Mound) - Ilhwasung Restaurant
Kim Dong Wan is famous as a member of the band Shinhwa. Shinhwa's fame in Korea is difficult to overstate and it is the longest-running boy band in the history of Korea. Kim has always had a humorous and reliable image, and this image was further strengthenedwhenhe joined the cast of "I Live Alone." He may be the epitome of the saying, "alone, but not lonely." Kim has many hobbies, one of them is mountain biking. He often heads to Ansan Mountain in Seodaemun-gu and takes to the trails with his mountain bike.



Ansan Mountain is the smallest of Soeul's mountains and it is just 295.9m high. You could easily walk the mountain in about 2 or 3 hours as there is a convenient trail, Ansan Jarak-gil. The trail was constructed so as to allow people onto the mountainwithstrollers or wheelchairs. The start of the Jarak-gil trail is located near many tourist sites. You could spend time at Muakje, Dongnimmun Gate, or the Seodaemun Museum of National History, and head up Ansan afterwards. While walking the mountainyou'llsee beautiful views and the sites like dawn redwood trees. It's enough to make you forget you're in the middle of Seoul. 

At the peak, Muak East Beacon Mound, you'll get 360 degree views of Seoul and famous sites like Namsan Mountain and Gyeongbokgung Palace are visible from atop Ansan. One of the first episodes of the drama "Misaeng" featured a panorama of Seoul; it filmedrighthere on the mountain.
 
After a walk on the mountain, head to Ilhwasung Restaurant. The restaurant serves Chinese food. Kim Dong Wan was shown dining here on "I Live Alone," after riding his bike on the mountain. The restaurant is located in Yeonhui-dong, not far from AnsanMountain.Kim frequents this restaurant and if you visit you can even seen autographs from other Shinhwa members of display here. On "I Live Alone," Kim Dong Wan was seen selecting the honghap jjamppong (spicy noodle soup with mussels). The restaurantis famousfor its honghap jjamppong and lovers of spicy food will want to try this food. Ilhwasung doesn't skimp of the mussels either so you're sure to end up with a full stomach.