‘Around Thirty,’ sung by the man who wrote it
Kim Kwang-seok made “Around Thirty” famous, but Kang Seung-won wrote both its lyrics and music. A KBS performance by Kang, Jeon In-kwon and Lee Chan-hyuk brings the song’s authorship back into view.
Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz · 40
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The Blue in You
“The Blue in You,” sung by Kim Hyun-chul and Lee So-ra, is the theme of a 1992 film. Two contrasting voices draw close and pull apart, holding the line between love and farewell in a blue-toned duet.
Mark Wiens: a food walk through Gwangjang Market
NOWHITZ PICK · In this 2019 video, food traveler Mark Wiens works through knife-cut noodles, banchan, mung-bean pancakes and yukhoe at Seoul’s Gwangjang Market. It remains a clear introduction to how the market eats.
Jongno 5-ga Station · Line 1 · Exit 8 · about 1 min walk
Inside the market
Rather than focusing on one signature dish, the video moves through the market’s layers: noodle stalls, banchan counters, mung-bean pancakes and raw beef. Very different foods sit within a few steps of one another.
Current visitor details
The video was published in 2019. Visit Seoul currently lists the food alley about 62 metres from Exit 8 of Jongno 5-ga Station on Line 1, open 09:00–23:00.
STORE INFO
HoursCheck stall hours on site · food alley 09:00–23:00
ClosedCheck individual stall schedule
ParkingUse Jongmyo public parking near Jongno 4-ga
LOCATION
Gohyang Kalguksu · Gwangjang Market East A70Gwangjang Market 1F East A70 · 88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
OPEN MAP ↗1Jongno 5-ga StationExit 8about 1 min walk
NEARBY
Dongmyo Flea MarketOne stop away on Line 1 after Gwangjang Market, with vintage goods and an older side of everyday Seoul.
VIEW NEARBY ↗Source DiningCode Checked 2026.10.03 23:24
British chefs discover how Gyeongdong Market works
NOWHITZ PICK · British chefs walk through Seoul’s Gyeongdong Market, trying everything from twisted doughnuts to fermented skate. The video also shows how a traditional market runs on tasting, explanation and conversation.
Jegi-dong Station · Line 1 · Exit 2 · about 4 min walk
Vendors and visitors
Gyeongdong is a large traditional market for produce, medicinal herbs, seafood and other ingredients. As the chefs try unfamiliar foods, vendors explain, offer and feed as much as they sell.
Sponsorship and access
The video description discloses a paid partnership with BetterHelp. Visit Seoul lists the market about 273 metres from Exit 2 of Jegi-dong Station on Line 1, open 08:00–18:00.
MARKET INFO
Hours08:00–18:00
ClosedEvery other Sunday
LOCATION
Gyeongdong Market3 Gosanja-ro 36-gil, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
OPEN MAP ↗1Jegi-dong StationExit 2about 4 min walk
NEARBY
Starbucks Gyeongdong 1960A café built into the former theater space inside Gyeongdong Market’s main building, easy to add after walking the market.
VIEW NEARBY ↗Source mediahub.seoul.go.kr Checked 2026.10.04 09:32
Sources & context
2026-10-03T19:28:48+09:00
Korean Englishman · YouTube ↗Visit Seoul · Gyeongdong Market ↗
Nodeul Island stays illuminated through October 11
Seoul Light Hangang Bitseom Festival runs on Nodeul Island through October 11, with light and laser works on view from 18:30 to 22:30.
Light and laser art
The festival sets light- and laser-based works against Nodeul Island’s riverside nightscape. The video shown is an official on-site video released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Hours
The festival runs through October 11, open 18:30–22:30. Because it is outdoors, weather and on-site conditions can change individual programs. Changes are posted in the city’s official notices.
EVENT INFO
DatesOct 2–11
Hours18:30–22:30
AdmissionFree
ParkingLimited · public transit recommended
LOCATION
NEARBY
Sayuksin Historical ParkA historical park in Dongjak that pairs naturally with a visit to Nodeul Island, with the Sayuksin tombs and Uijeolsa shrine. · Photo Asfreeas / CC BY-SA 3.0
VIEW NEARBY ↗Source news.seoul.go.kr
cari cakes: everyday Seoul through grocery shopping
NOWHITZ PICK · Seoul-based creator cari cakes combines grocery shopping, market browsing and everyday meals in one vlog that shows a day in the city beyond the usual attractions.
Seoul Station · Lines 1/4 · Exit 1 · about 1 min walk
Namdaemun and Seoul Station
The video follows real errands through places such as Namdaemun Market and Lotte Mart at Seoul Station. Choosing ingredients and preparing simple meals shows how Korean supermarkets are laid out and how people shop.
Sponsorship and access
The description states that the video is sponsored by Lotte Mart. Visit Seoul lists the Seoul Station branch about 58 metres from Exit 1 of Seoul Station on Lines 1 and 4, open 10:00–24:00 and closed on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month.
STORE INFO
Hours10:00–24:00
Closed2nd & 4th Wednesday each month
LOCATION
Lotte Mart Zettaplex Seoul Station405 Hangang-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
OPEN MAP ↗14Seoul StationExit 1about 1 min walk
NEARBY
Namdaemun MarketA traditional market within an easy walk from Seoul Station, extending the grocery-shopping route into older market streets.
VIEW NEARBY ↗Source Visit Seoul · Lotte Mart Seoul Station Checked 2026.10.03 19:28
Sources & context
2026-10-03T19:28:48+09:00
cari cakes · YouTube ↗Visit Seoul · Lotte Mart Seoul Station ↗
Strictly Dumpling in Myeongdong, 2016: how does it look now?
NOWHITZ PICK · Strictly Dumpling eats through Myeongdong at night in this 2016 video, chosen as an archive view to compare with the district today.
Myeongdong Station · Line 4 · Exit 6 · about 1 min walk
Myeongdong a decade ago
Street-food menus, stall layouts and tourist routes change over time. The video is not a current guide but a record of how a foreign food creator experienced one of Seoul’s best-known visitor districts a decade ago.
Current access
Visit Seoul directs visitors to Myeongdong Station on Line 4 via Exits 5–10. For the street-food corridor, Exit 6 is the closest entry point in current access guides.
STREET INFO
HoursVaries by stall and shop · check on site
NoteTreat the 2016 video separately from current visit information
LOCATION
Myeongdong street-food areaAround Myeong-dong 8-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
OPEN MAP ↗4Myeongdong StationExit 6about 1 min walk
NEARBY
Myeongdong CathedralThe red-brick cathedral sits just off Myeongdong’s main streets, adding architecture and history after the food-stall area.
VIEW NEARBY ↗Source Visit Seoul · Myeongdong Checked 2026.10.03 19:28
Sources & context
2026-10-03T19:28:48+09:00
Strictly Dumpling · YouTube ↗Visit Seoul · Myeongdong ↗Korealogue · Myeongdong street food access ↗
IVE’s DIVE ACADEMY pop-up opens in Gangnam for Oct. 17–19
Spotify will hold DIVE ACADEMY, a pop-up marking IVE’s comeback, October 17–19 at ARC GANGNAM in Seoul.
A fan-participation pop-up
The event brings the concept of IVE’s new album into an offline space through hands-on fan programs. A premiere and talk tied to the title-track release is planned for October 19.
Official album teaser
The ‘IVE THEATER ｜ NOW SHOWING’ video shown is an official IVE album teaser, not footage from the pop-up.
EVENT INFO
DatesPop-up Oct 17–18 · live stage Oct 19
HoursLive stage Oct 19 at 20:00 · pop-up entry follows reservation sessions
BookingPop-up via Naver reservation · live stage via separate Spotify application
NotePop-up and live stage require separate applications · live application is for Spotify Premium users age 14+
LOCATION
Arc Gangnam7 Gangnam-daero 30-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
OPEN MAP ↗3DXYangjae StationExit 8about 3 min walk
NEARBY
Yangjaecheon StreamAn urban stream walk south of Yangjae Station, easy to add before or after the pop-up. · Photo S h y numis / CC BY-SA 4.0
VIEW NEARBY ↗Source Spotify Checked 2026.10.04 09:32
From a 22-second costume clip to the real carp-shaped water dropper
A 22-second Short from 14F captures the winner of the National Museum of Korea’s artifact costume contest. The white porcelain carp-shaped water dropper that inspired the costume is on view at the museum.
![김현철 - 왜 그래 (with 댄쓰 퍼포먼쓰) [유희열의 스케치북] 20190426](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NiNAsJP967A/hqdefault.jpg)
What’s Wrong?
Kim Hyun-chul’s 1995 song “What’s Wrong?” turns the frustration of a partner’s silence into clipped, conversational lines over a light, funky groove.
Time Out picked Jongno 3-ga as the world’s coolest neighbourhood for 2026. Walk past its old restaurants and tent bars into Ikseon-dong’s low hanok lanes and small shops, and the reasons start to come into view.
Jongno 3-ga · Lines 1·3·5 · 3 min walk
Even the name carries traces of older Seoul
Ikseon-dong’s name is generally traced to older place-names: ik from Ik-rang-dong and seon from Jeongseon-bang, a Joseon-era administrative district. The area also included Nudonggung, a royal residence associated with King Cheoljong’s family. In the 1920s and 1930s, developer Jeong Se-gwon bought land around the former palace site and built a dense cluster of compact urban hanok for city residents. The narrow lanes and small houses you see today began as everyday housing, not as a tourist set.
Different memories of Seoul share the same streets
For longtime regulars, Jongno 3-ga means familiar restaurants and meeting places; for instrument dealers and musicians around Nakwon Music Mall, it is a working district. Younger visitors walking through Ikseon-dong, office workers at evening pochas, and LGBTQ+ communities with deep roots in Jongno all share these streets. Queer venues and patrons are not tourist attractions, so be especially considerate with cameras and attention.
A fresh buzz around the evening food stalls
Time Out highlighted the younger crowds returning to the pochas on Donhwamun-ro 11-gil. Pulling up a seat at an outdoor table and sharing food is part of the appeal.
Hanok that are part of everyday life
Ikseon-dong’s older houses now hold cafés and small shops. They are more than a backdrop for photographs: people meet, browse and spend time inside them.
Small discoveries along Seosulla-gil
Time Out also singled out the craft workshops, jewellery studios and distinctive bars beside Jongmyo’s stone wall. This lane offers a quieter contrast to the tent-bar streets.
Sunset into night
This is when tent bars, old restaurants and small bars overlap, and the contrast between Ikseon-dong and Jongno 3-ga is easiest to feel.
Daytime
Best for seeing the hanok rooflines, the scale of the lanes and the details of the buildings at an easy pace.
Morning
The lanes are calmer, but many businesses have not opened yet, so you miss much of the neighborhood’s social energy.
QUICK WALK
A short loop through Ikseon-dong and the edge of Jongno 3-ga
RECOMMENDED
Walk from Ikseon-dong through Nakwon-dong and into Jongno 3-ga at an easy pace
WITH FOOD
Add a meal plus a tent bar or small bar to make an evening of it
Before you visit
Ikseon-dong and the Jongno 3-ga tent-bar streets can get very crowded on weekend evenings. Some hanok are still part of everyday residential life. Be considerate when photographing people or looking into private spaces. You will understand the area better by walking the neighborhood than by building the visit around one famous shop.
Station access
Jongno 3-ga Station
STORE INFO
QUICK WALKA short loop through Ikseon-dong and the edge of Jongno 3-ga
RECOMMENDEDWalk from Ikseon-dong through Nakwon-dong and into Jongno 3-ga at an easy pace
LOCATION
NEARBY
Source www.timeout.com
By day, the lanes belong to printers, lighting shops and hardware stores; after work, small bars and outdoor tables come alive. Euljiro is where a decades-old industrial district overlaps with the newer nightlife behind the nickname “Hipjiro.”
Euljiro 3-ga · Lines 2·3 · 4 min walk
Euljiro’s character began with an industrial ecosystem
Hardware shops between Supyogyo and Gwansugyo grew busy after Cheonggyecheon was covered in 1961. Printing businesses began clustering around Euljiro, Inhyeon-dong and Pil-dong in the late 1960s. Urban growth in the 1970s, trading companies around Gwanghwamun and the nearby Chungmuro film industry all helped the printing trade expand. Today, printing, finishing, paper, lighting and tools still give the area its working texture.
Daytime Euljiro and nighttime Euljiro have different crowds
On weekday afternoons, people carry print jobs between shops, buy tools and visit suppliers. Near the end of the workday, shutters come down and office workers and younger visitors move into restaurants, bars and outdoor tables. The same lanes shift from workplace to meeting place as the day turns to evening.
A printing alley where the process is visible
Bundles of paper, printing machines and delivery carts often appear before polished storefronts do. These are active workplaces, so keep doorways and delivery routes clear.
A streetscape built from lighting, hardware and tile shops
Specialist shops for lighting, tools, tiles and pottery still line the Euljiro 3-ga area. Visit by day and the industrial history becomes clearer than the “Hipjiro” nickname.
An evening culture that grew from Nogari Alley
Nogari Alley formed in the 1980s and was designated Seoul Future Heritage in 2015. It began as an affordable after-work stop for nearby workers and has evolved into a night street shared by different generations.
Weekdays from around 16:30
Begin while workshops and specialist stores are still active, then watch shutters drop and the evening lights take over.
Weekday daytime
Best for seeing the printing, lighting and hardware ecosystem at work. Many industrial businesses close on weekends, making the area much quieter by day.
After dark
Best for Nogari Alley, small bars and outdoor tables. Friday and Saturday evenings can be crowded and involve waits.
QUICK WALK
See the contrast between Printing Alley and Nogari Alley
RECOMMENDED
Printing Alley → lighting and hardware streets → Cheonggyecheon side → Nogari Alley
WITH FOOD
Walk the working district, then add dinner, a bar or outdoor seating
Before you visit
Daytime Euljiro is a real working district, not a set. Keep entrances, carts, motorcycles and loading areas clear. Ask before photographing people at close range or shooting inside active workshops. Visit on a weekday if the industrial side matters to you. Popular restaurants and bars may have waits in the evening.
Station access
Euljiro 3-ga Station
PLACE INFO
QUICK WALKSee the contrast between Printing Alley and Nogari Alley
RECOMMENDEDPrinting Alley → lighting and hardware streets → Cheonggyecheon side → Nogari Alley
LOCATION
NEARBY
Source english.visitseoul.net
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