Dear diary,
After years of watching K-dramas until 2AM and memorizing K-pop dances in my room, it seems almost like a dream that I’d actually walk through the streets I’ve ever only seen on screen. The very place I’ve been dreaming of through series and series of K-dramas.
From the moment I’d step off the plane, it’ll dawn on me that I’m not just watching it on screen anymore. I’m actually here. As someone who’s totally hooked on K-dramas and K-pop, there’s no other place I would love to start my trip other than Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. This is basically the center of everything I’ve watched, listened to and dreamed about.
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My first stop? I thought of Gangnam and Hongdae but I decided to start off in a place for K-fans like me – Yongsan. Yongsan is right in central Seoul, it’s a mix of everything. It’s not as loud and trendy like Hongdae or Gangnam, but it has that chilled, polished vibe. You walk a little and boom…you’re suddenly standing in front of the building where BTS practices (my imagination runs wild, lol).
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Why Yongsan? Because it’s more than just a district in Seoul, it’s where HYBE – the home of BTS, SEVENTEEN, LE SSERAFIM, NEW JEANS is located…they’re legends. Just standing outside that glassy building would feel like a dream come true. They’d be other fans outside too, taking photos and catching glimpses of someone famous.
I’d definitely take a stop by one of the nearby K-pop themes cafes, maybe order a ‘Butter’ cheesecake while listening to BTS tracks playing in the background)
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Yongsan isn’t just famous for K-pop, it also pops up in a lot of K-dramas. I’d definitely walk through Hangang Park along Han River. The Han River is quite famous in K-dramas, and I’ve always wondered what it looks like.
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Itaewon is a vibrant neighborhood in Yongsan, and it’s super iconic thanks to “Itaewon Class” (A pretty good drama, I know. Park Sae-ro-yi forever🤘). I’d take a walk down the streets where Park Sae-ro-yi opened his restaurant, and would probably take way too many pictures and it would be exactly like I imagined from watching Itaewon Class.
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I’d try out some street food…like tteokbokki and hotteok. Oh…and I’d definitely have ramen. Itaewon would be the perfect place for Korean BBQ. I’d have pork belly, and kimchi stew on the side (really spicy).
Yongsan is not loud or crazy, but it has that stylish calm K-drama city vibe. I’d get to stand outside the company that brought up my favorite artists. Yongsan is more than a location, it’s the heart of many stories and songs I’ve dreamt of. I’d get to live my K-drama dream (for real) and it’ll be everything I hoped for.
Here’s to fangirling in real life, and maybe I mind end up finding my own K-drama story along the way, hehe.
From Korea, with love —