When people talk about Gangnam, they mean the portion of Seoul below the Han River, specifically in the Gangnam District. Despite its size, when people refer to ‘Gangnam’ they usually mean the heart of Gangnam — Gangnam Station. Gangnam is an example of a popular destination that people flock to during the New Year, where they can ‘hang out’ for hours without the fear of running out of entertainment. Today, let me introduce to you famous stops, attractions and activities for your next visit to Gangnam Station.
Located at the intersection of Line 2 (Green Line) and ShinBundang Line, Gangnam is at the heart of Seoul’s metropolitan area and is always filled with people. Gangnam gains a lot of attention and love especially from the youth, as many attractions and stores are targeting the newest Gen Z population. On the main street is a combination of large clothing and footwear stores, alongside pop-up stores such as character-themed shops from Kakao and Naver LINE. These stores are filled with plushies, dolls, and cute items designed as characters from the respective franchises. One reason Gangnam Station is famous among teens and youth these days is due to such accessibility of stores tailored to their tastes.
Gangnam is also a place to enjoy with friends and loved ones. To say the least, besides the main street, Gangnam has small arcades and attractions that are enjoyable for all ages. For example, the main street is adjacent to the CGV cinema of Gangnam Station, an entire 8-floor building dedicated to movies. Further into the street, you will be able to find various arcade stations, known as ‘오락실’ (oh-rak-shil) by Koreans. Among the young Koreans, visiting these stations to play small arcade games like Basketball, doll claw machines, and karaokes are becoming more and more famous. Additionally, there are also large stationary stores full of fun toys, snacks, and stationeries you may have never seen before.
Not to mention, these large streets aren’t without attractions. The largest stores within Korea for clothing and footwear such as Nike and Adidas all are near the station, only within minutes of walking distance. Also, Gangnam has one of the ten Apple Stores in South Korea. Shopping in these stores will undoubtedly be a blast and perhaps something you could do as a gift to yourself for the coming New Year :)
From the outside, Gangnam Station may be a place that looks bland due to it seemingly having only large corporate buildings (nowhere related to tourism or playing). However, once you take a step closer, you will find yourself surrounded by various attractions and restaurants, hopefully leaving you with memories of your friends and loved ones. Thus, I highly recommend you to visit Gangnam Station and play like a true Korean, filling your trip with memorable moments to cherish and start off your new year!
Work Cited
(n.a.) “[살거리]아트박스.” Gwanggyo Alleyway. (n.d.) http://www.alleyway.co.kr/brand_cartegory/?bmode=view&idx=18678098.
(n.a.) “라인프렌즈 강남 플래그십 스토어.” 3 May 2024. https://booking.naver.com/booking/13/bizes/1077828.