Hongdae, Seoul
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Hongdae () is a neighborhood in
Mapo District Mapo District () is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Mapo has a population of 381,330 (2015) and has a geographic area of 23.87 km2 (9.22 sq mi), and is divided into 24 '' dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Mapo is located in ...
,
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, near
Hongik University Hongik University (; colloquially as Hongdae) is a private university in Mapo District, Mapo, Seoul, South Korea. It was founded in 1946. The university also maintains a branch campus in Sejong City. The university's colloquial name, "Hongdae ...
("Hongik Daehakgyo" in Korean), after which it is named. The neighborhood is known for its
urban art Urban art combines street art, guerrilla art, and graffiti and is often used to summarize all visual art forms arising in urban areas, being inspired by urban architecture or present urban lifestyle. Because the urban arts are characterized by exi ...
s and
indie music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties afforded by in ...
culture, local shops, clubs, cafés and entertainment. The area is located in
Mapo District Mapo District () is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Mapo has a population of 381,330 (2015) and has a geographic area of 23.87 km2 (9.22 sq mi), and is divided into 24 '' dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Mapo is located in ...
in the western end of Seoul, stretching from
Seogyo-dong Seogyo-dong () is a '' dong'' (neighbourhood) of Mapo District, Seoul, South Korea. Education Seogyo Elementary School is located in Seogyo-dong. See also *Administrative divisions of South Korea South Korea is made up of 22 first-tier a ...
, Hapjeong-dong & Seogang-dong.


Characteristics

The Hongdae area grew under the influence of Hongik University (Hongdae), a prestigious private university known for its Fine Arts Program, attracting people in the arts from the 1990s. Early on, thanks to then-cheap rent, budget musicians and street artists started moving into the ateliers of the Hongdae area. Korea's indie music scene started from two bands launched in the area, Sister's Barbershop and
Crying Nut Crying Nut () is a punk rock band from South Korea. They are often credited as being pioneers of the Korean punk rock and indie rock scenes. The group began performing in 1995 in the Hongdae (area), Hongdae club scene in Seoul. They released the ...
in the mid-1990s. Before that many cover bands played near
Sinchon Sinchon () is a region of South Korea surrounding Sinchon-dong, Changcheon-dong, Nogosan-dong and Daeheung-dong. It is known for its numerous universities including Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Sogang University, Hongik Univ ...
and Idae. Later, other bands like
Jaurim Jaurim ( meaning "Purple Rainforest") is a rock music, rock band from Seoul, South Korea. They had performed in the indie scene in 1993. The band's initial name was Full Count. They changed the band's name to Jaurim in 1997 and became major with ...
, Peppertones and Idiotape started to play at venues in Hongdae, and the area began to cultivate a reputation as the mecca of urban arts and underground club culture. Hongdae now provides
street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant gr ...
festivals and performances, as well as music concerts by independent artists and mainstream entertainers. Many people come to Hongdae for its aesthetically unique characteristics. There are many graffiti murals painted all over the streets of Hongdae. One of the well known areas for these murals is Hongdae Mural Street (also known as 'Picasso's Street'). Like other multi-cultural
metropolitan areas A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metropolitan area usually ...
, this street is undergoing
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
. However, despite the recent explosion of upmarket brand shops that pushes artists to move toward the southern area near
Hapjeong Station Hapjeong Station (; ) is a subterranean station of Seoul Subway Line 2 and Seoul Subway Line 6. The station is located just north of the Han River in Mapo District. The name of the subway station comes from its local name. The name of the area ...
, the street still enjoys a reputation as the city's prime spot for indie musicians. Many live music venues and festivals draw revelers from a wide range of visitors.
YG Entertainment YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...
, the major
K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
agency is also located near the street.


Culture

Hongdae has become an area known for its diverse and indie oriented art culture, including independent clothing stalls, vintage shops, art studios, trendy cafés and clubs. Additionally it has also become home to dancers, musicians and even aspiring independent
K-Pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
groups who perform as ''
Buskers Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
'' or '' Street Performers''. Busking helps performers improve their skills, get exposure and even make a little money from their performances. In 2016, Hongdae was ranked as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world.


Clubbing

Hongdae is also known colloquially as one of the top places to go clubbing in Seoul. The Hongdae clubbing scene can be traced back to the 1990s and originated from studio cafés and bars in the late 1980s; it has since evolved into a diverse culture of its own. Clubs have become an important place for people to gather and share music, dance, as well as to communicate with one another. These clubs have also created a space for numerous aspiring DJs and musicians to perform in as well as provide a wide range of music genres for visitors to enjoy such as
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
and
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
. Though many clubs are open to anyone over 19 years of age, there are some clubs who still strictly enforce unwritten rules such as dress codes and banning of foreigners.


Cafés

In the late 1990s this artistic culture extended into the creation of trendy cafés, which have now evolved into the famous themed café culture known to be found in Korea today. Some popular cafés include the 943 King's Cross Café, which is
Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
themed, animal cafes, where patrons can visit and play with various animals such as cats, dogs, and even sheep. Character cafés are also quite common and include characters such as Sanrio's Cinnamoroll as well as Line Friends cafés and
Kakao Friends Kakao Friends (stylized as KAKAO FRIENDS; ) are featured characters based on KakaoTalk emoticons released in November 2012 by Kakao. The copyrights of the characters are currently owned and managed by Kakao's subsidiary Kakao IX, which was for ...
cafés.


Street Food

Hongdae is also home to many street foods and food vendors. Foods offered range from
tteokbokki () or simmered rice cake, is a popular Korean food made from small-sized (long, white, cylinder-shaped rice cakes) called () or commonly (). * ''Eomuk'' (fish cakes), boiled eggs, and scallions are some common ingredients paired with ''tteo ...
and rice cake skewers to hotteok and tanghulu, or skewers of sugar coated fruit.


Beauty Shopping

Hongdae has become a popular destination for younger shoppers and foreign tourists seeking out Korean beauty products. Major K-beauty brands present in the area include Innisfree, The Face Shop, Etude House, and
Tony Moly Tony Moly (Hangul: 토니모리) is a South Korean cosmetics brand. Tony Moly was established in 2006 with the support of Tae Sung Industry. The name Tony Moly means "putting style into packaging". History In July 2006, Tony Moly Cosmetics wa ...
. Olive Young, a popular Korean cosmetics retailer, has opened a second flagship store there in 2024 that caters to foreign tourists.


Tourism

Hongdae's cultural attractions and nightlife, along with its location on the
AREX AREX (Airport Railroad Express; ) is an airport rail link and commuter rail line in the Seoul Metropolitan Area of South Korea, linking Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport with Seoul Station. The section between the ...
line to
Incheon International Airport Incheon International Airport is the main international airport serving Seoul, the capital of South Korea. It is also one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. This airport opened for business on 29 March 2001, to replace the old ...
, have made it a popular destination for foreign tourists in recent decades. Although the area had only a single small hotel for many years, Hongdae now has numerous boutique hotels and low-cost guesthouses targeted towards foreign backpackers. A handful of
halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...
restaurants, serving Middle Eastern, Indian, and Indonesian cuisine exist in the area to serve the increasing numbers of visitors and students from Muslim Southeast Asi

The Gyeongui Forest Line Park is a linear park built on a former rail line that is popular with young visitors to Hongdae. In recent years, part of one of Hongdae's main streets was painted red and renamed the "Red Road." The Red Road has many of Hongdae's numerous gaming arcades, restaurants, karaoke parlors, curio shops and fortune tellers. The Red Road often has large crowds of visitors and tourists.


Events


Zandari Festa

Zandari Festa is named after 'Zandari', an old name for the Hongdae area. 'Zandari' implies small bridge, and the festival's ambition is also to be a bridge between the artists and audiences around the local indie music scene. Every Fall, it is held over 3 days in the pre-scheduled hosting live clubs. The festival encourages bands to invite themselves, artists are also encouraged to take part in planning and promoting the shows they play in.


Live Club Day

Since March 2001, 'Club Day' started as a wristband-powered event which allows entry to more than a dozen clubs for the price of one. After 2007, 'Sound Day' also launched together with the indie music concert venues. During 2008 through early 2009 they were suspend due to high levels of violence and disturbances by
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
soldiers and underage individuals. They reopened again but came to close soon in January 2011 (as the 117th Club Day), mainly due to the dispute over the distribution of profits between popular live/dance clubs and other budget ones. After a four-year break, in January 2015, six live clubs established the 'Live Club Cooperative' and with other clubs, they resumed the 'Live Club Day' on 27 February. The 'Live Club Day' is held on the last Friday of every month. The ticket system is the same as before, one can get access to multiple clubs for a variety of genres including rock, jazz, hip hop and electronic with one ticket.


Street Art Exhibition

During early 1990s, students from the College of Fine Arts at Hongik University began to decorate the streets, walls, and roads around the college. Their efforts were soon joined by many artists from across the country and the first 'Street Art Festival' was held in 1993. Every year, students of Hongik University and neighbor artists join to produce diversity of visual arts on Hongdae streets like
graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...
wall painting, installation arts and performances.


Free Market

'Hongdaeap Artmarket Freemarket' is held on 'Hongdae Playground', that is in front of the main gate of Hongik University. It holds on weekends, from March to November at 13:00 to 18:00 by the host of the nonprofit organization 'Living and Art Creative Center' () since 2002. The flea markets are called "Free Market" on Saturdays and "Hope Market" on Sundays. They are fledgling craft markets of things made by students and street artists. Other culture markets have been influenced by this original playground Freemarket and open randomly around the Hongdae area.


Transport

The area is served by subway via Hongik University station (, and ),
Hapjeong station Hapjeong Station (; ) is a subterranean station of Seoul Subway Line 2 and Seoul Subway Line 6. The station is located just north of the Han River in Mapo District. The name of the subway station comes from its local name. The name of the area ...
( and ), and Sangsu station (). Also, various Seoul bus lines reach the street, as well as the presence of many taxis.


In popular culture

Hongdae area is widely used for filming location of domestic television dramas and movies, which include : * 2007, MBC's '' Coffee Prince' * 2010, KBS's '' Mary Stayed Out All Night'' * 2011, tvN's '' Flower Boy Ramyun Shop''. * 2012, SBS's '' A Gentleman's Dignity''. * 2015, Belgian singer-songwriter Sioen made a song named "Hongdae". * 2017,
Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's reality show '' Fromis's Room'' * 2018,
JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...
's reality show '' Blackpink House'' *2021, 1theK's reality show '' Learn Way'' season 2, Episode 9


Gallery

File:Hongik univ gate.jpg, Main gate of the Hongik University File:Eoulmadang-ro shops-01.JPG, Independent clothing stalls on Eoulmadang-ro File:Hongdae Playground.JPG, Playground in the area (2012) File:Wausan-ro 21-gil Hongdae.JPG, Shops on Wausan-ro 21-gil opposite Hongdae Playground


References


External links


Zandari Festa Official Homepage

Live Club Day

Hongdaeap Freemarket Official Homepage
*
Street Art Exhibition
{{Authority control Neighborhoods of Mapo District Entertainment districts in South Korea Shopping districts and streets in South Korea Tourist attractions in Seoul Hongik University