Hongdae, Yeonnam & Mangwon (Mapo-gu, Seoul): K-Pop Idol Hangouts & K-Drama Filming Spots Guide

Why Mapo-gu Is Seoul's K-Pop and Youth Drama Neighborhood

If Jongno is where Korean dramas go for palaces and hanok, Mapo-gu is where they go for youth. In the public filming-location dataset published by the Korea Culture Information Service Agency (KCISA), Mapo-gu has 1,025 records, the second-highest count of any district in Korea after Jongno-gu. The mix is telling: roughly 400 of those records are streets and public spaces, about 400 are restaurants, and another 160 are cafes. In other words, this is a neighborhood where people eat, drink coffee, and wander, and that is exactly what the cameras capture.

The district stretches from the student streets around Hongik University (Hongdae) and the indie cafes of Yeonnam-dong and Sangsu, down to the Han River at Mangwon, and west to the broadcasting towers of Sangam Digital Media City, where MBC, SBS and other networks have offices. That geography explains the mix of entries: idol vlog cafes in Hongdae, romance-drama dates in Yeonnam, and broadcast-variety restaurant shoots around Sangam.

Works that appear most often in Mapo-gu

Among music and idol entries, BLACKPINK (18 records) and BTS (7 records) lead the dataset here, alongside WINNER and OH MY GIRL. On the drama side, the most frequent titles include Because This Is My First Life, My Roommate Is a Gumiho, Nevertheless, What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, Lovestruck in the City, Her Private Life, and Something in the Rain. Food variety shows such as Wednesday Food Talk and Delicious Guys account for many of the restaurant records, which makes Mapo an easy place to eat well while location hunting.

Hongdae and Sangsu: BTS and BLACKPINK Spots

1. Hongdae Mural Street (BTS LOVE YOURSELF)

The dataset lists the mural alley at 독막로19길 42 as a jacket-photo location for BTS's LOVE YOURSELF era. The surrounding lanes between Sangsu Station and Hongdae's main streets are packed with graffiti walls that change over time, so the exact mural may look different when you visit. Go before 11 AM for clean shots without crowds.

2. BLACKPINK's Hongdae and Sangsu cafes

BLACKPINK has more Mapo-gu entries than any other act. Entries include Insol Coffee in Sangsu (인솔커피 상수점, 독막로18길 16), recorded as the cafe Rosé visited with her dog Hank, and Mon Cafe Gregory (양화로6길 84), which the dataset notes Jisoo praised on Instagram. These are working businesses, so buy a drink, keep photos quick, and check Naver Map for current hours before you go.

3. Gentle Monster Hongdae Flagship

The eyewear flagship at 독막로7길 54 appears in Something in the Rain, where Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin) comes here with coworkers during a lunch break in Episode 12. The store's rotating art installations make it worth a stop even if you are not shopping.

Yeonnam-dong and the Gyeongui Line Forest Park: Romance Drama Walk

Yeonnam-dong is the most relaxed part of this route. A disused railway line was turned into the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, a long, narrow strip of lawn and trees that locals nicknamed "Yeontral Park." According to the dataset, Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-wook) and Sung Duk-mi (Park Min-young) come to a corner of this park on a date in the final episode of Her Private Life (연남로 80).

Our Beloved Summer cafes

Two cafes from Our Beloved Summer sit within a short walk of each other on the north side of Yeonnam. Cafe Scone (성미산로 172, 2nd floor) is where Kim Ji-woong (Kim Sung-cheol) tries to persuade Kook Yeon-su (Kim Da-mi) to appear in his documentary, and Mirabeau Patisserie (성미산로29길 35-6) is where Yeon-su's blind date falls apart. The same lanes also appear in More Than Friends, when Kyung Woo-yeon (Shin Ye-eun) and Lee Soo (Ong Seong-wu) explore Yeonnam on foot along 동교로46길.

Gyeongui Book Street

Just south of Hongik University Station, the book-themed stretch of the old rail line at 와우산로37길 35 is listed as a main backdrop for Welcome to Waikiki. It is free, quiet in the morning, and lined with small bookshops and benches.

A Reply 1988 surprise

In Seogyo-dong, the former residence of President Choi Kyu-hah (동교로15길 10) is recorded as the exterior used for Dong-ryong's house in Reply 1988. It is a heritage house rather than a set, so check opening days on Naver Map before you go.

Mangwon and Sangam: Han River, Sky Park and Broadcast Town

Mangwon Hangang Park

Mangwon Hangang Park (마포나루길 467) appears in Ex-Girlfriend Club, where the area near Seongsan Bridge is a regular meeting spot for the leads. Grab snacks at Mangwon Market first, then walk about 15 minutes to the river for a picnic or a rented bike.

Haneul Park and World Cup Park

Haneul Park (하늘공원로 95) sits on a former landfill turned into a hilltop grassland. In Go Back Couple Episode 4, Min Seo-young (Go Bo-gyeol) and Choi Ban-do (Son Ho-jun) come here on a date. In October and November the silver grass (eulalia) turns gold, which makes this one of the best autumn photo spots in Seoul. The adjoining World Cup Park (하늘공원로 86) is where the siblings talk things through in Episode 12 of My Unfamiliar Family, and the Peace Park (월드컵로 243-60) is listed as a park RM posted on Twitter.

Oil Tank Culture Park

Five former oil storage tanks were converted into the Oil Tank Culture Park (문화비축기지, 증산로 87). Park Jae-won (Ji Chang-wook) comes here to take photos in Episode 3 of Lovestruck in the City. The concrete-and-steel tanks make a striking contrast with the leafy parks next door.

Where to Eat: Drama Restaurants and Local Favorites

Mapo's restaurant entries lean toward Korean barbecue and casual drinking spots, which is a good match for the dramas they appear in. Mapo Sogeumgui (마포소금구이, 와우산로32길 32) is listed as the pub that Park Sae-ro-yi and his father prepare in Itaewon Class. Seoul Dwaeji-gui (서울돼지구이, 와우산로 15-3) is where Jeon Yeo-been and Son Suk-ku drink soju over grilled pork in Be Melodramatic.

For something lighter, Mangwon Market is famous among locals for cheap street snacks such as fried chicken pieces, croquettes, and hotteok. Yeonnam-dong's side streets are packed with small brunch cafes and bakeries. Because these records come from a public dataset compiled over several years, some businesses may have moved or closed, so always confirm on Naver Map or KakaoMap before making a special trip.

Getting Around Mapo-gu: Subway, Taxi and a Half-Day Route

Subway stations to know

Hongik University Station (Line 2, AREX Airport Railroad, and Gyeongui-Jungang Line) is the main hub and has a direct train from Incheon Airport. Sangsu and Hapjeong (Line 6, Hapjeong also on Line 2) are best for the mural streets and Sangsu cafes, Mangwon (Line 6) for the market and river, and World Cup Stadium (Line 6) for Haneul Park and the Oil Tank Culture Park.

Taxi tip

Copy the Korean addresses in this guide into Kakao T or show them to the driver. Korean road addresses are far more reliable than English place names, and Google Maps walking directions are limited in Korea, so use Naver Map or KakaoMap for navigation.

Suggested half-day itinerary

Start at 10 AM at Hongik University Station Exit 3 and walk the Gyeongui Line Forest Park north into Yeonnam-dong for the Our Beloved Summer cafes. Around noon, head south through Hongdae to the mural streets and Gentle Monster, then have lunch near Sangsu. Take Line 6 three stops to Mangwon for the market and the river, or continue two more stops to World Cup Stadium for a late-afternoon walk up Haneul Park, timed for sunset in autumn.

Frequently Asked Questions