Seoul (South Korea) - The Hongdae Seoul Show

Seoul (South Korea)

09 July 2025

Hongdae, short for Hongik University, is described as one of Seoul’s most dynamic neighbourhoods, known for its youthful energy, creativity and nightlife. The area thrives on the influence of the nearby art and design university, giving rise to a vibrant mix of indie music, street performances, quirky cafés, and underground clubs. Murals and street art line narrow lanes, while boutique shops and themed restaurants cater to the district’s eclectic crowd. By day it’s a hub for fashion, food, and art lovers, and by night it transforms into a buzzing hotspot of live music, dance, and nightlife that captures the spirit of modern Seoul. My research often identified Hongdae as the youthful hub and for some reason pushing the area as being slightly insular as opposed to Itaewon which was said to be open and welcoming to all.

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

I spent a late afternoon and evening in Hongdae and found it to be far more appealing that Myeong-dong and Itaewon. Certainly youthful in spirit and vibrancy there was a great atmosphere the afternoon that I arrived. The streets buzzing with young 20 somethings, all just commencing their respective journeys to success or destruction – there was an exuberance and a sense of excitement. It was nice to walk around the area and experience the raft of restaurants, trendy cafes and hipster style shops. For me, it ranked above Itaewon and a long way in front of Myeong-dong, but still well below Ikseon-dong, Euljiro and Insa-dong. And that exactly what was great about Seoul, each of those areas had its own identity and feel, all influenced by its own construct. An area that in part is a blend of gritty, colourful streets, some of the narrow alleyways were lined with murals, graffiti and various installations. There was something a little Melbourne-esque about it, which is cool in its own right.

KPop Dreams - Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

Ice cream dreams - Hongdae - Seoul - South Korea

A cultural playground, a late-night festival, charged with the raw electricity of youth – the bold fabric of this district is woven from individuality, spirit and the audacity to take risks. Its certainly worth a visit.

Moving out of Hongdae, I made my way back to Jongno 3(sam)-ga station – which as a I’ve already mentioned, along with Euljiro, became my most loved parts of Seoul. This area suited me perfectly. Free and easy, pubs, restaurants and food stalls intermingled together in a wonderful carefree blend of feel good nightlife.

Saeseoul retro game arcade - one of the film locations for Squid Games

bright neon lights - vibrant and yet shadowed - like there's something inherently mysterious about the place

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Sul 24 - The 'do it yourself' bar where there's no staff but there are drinks 24-7-365

Seousulla-gil - Jogno District - Seoul - South Korea

A few nights into my Seoul adventure, I have to say that there was a lot to like. There was diversity, energy, vibrance, tradition, a synthesis and harmonisation of a variety of elements. There was a sense of balance but at the same time, an inertia and momentum. Much to like, for sure.

Seoul (South Korea) - 50 in 5eOuL

 Seoul (South Korea)

06 July 2025

I turned 50 just four days ago and you know what,  it’s not at all what I expected it to be.

When I was a kid, people in their fifties seemed to be ancient relics. Not that children today see their elders too much differently but back then 50 really looked the part, grey hair, extra weight, general resignation and a quiet acceptance that life was unwinding into the inevitable final chapter.

I’ve read arguments online about whether it’s a myth that people today look younger for their age and whether they are in fact ageing at a slower rate. Part of that seems to be true, part of that is perspective. All I know is that  for me, 50 feels far , far better than I ever imagined it to be. I can still do almost everything I did in my twenties. The only real  changes are that I can’t run quite as fast and my eyesight has slipped noticeably within the last two years. Beyond that, there’s little difference in my physical or mental capacity, which I’m going to keep going for as long as possible.

But, what has this got to do with my time in Seoul? Well, here I was – 50 in 5e0ul, at an age where life was meant to be pulling the reigns and slowing me down. But let me tell you now, that’s not even moderately close the truth and the way that I’ve been operating. There’s plenty of wanderlust, curiosity and energy to keep me going for a long, long time yet , as a well as a 6 yr old son that doesn’t quite know just yet that his dad was on the older side of the scale when he was born….he pushes me and I certainly will be pushing him for as long as I can. As long as I can maintain a decent amount of health then 50 doesn’t need to be the signal for taking my foot of the accelerator.

Anonymity in travel is a gift. I love being able to move through a new city, immersed in its culture and its crowds, absorbing everything that I’m able to whilst remaining comfortable in my own bubble, free from the need to perform, to communicate in a certain way, or to live up to any personal brand. There’s almost a sense of unburdening in that there are no real expectations on you and what you discover, what you absorb and what you learn, it’s totally on you. There’s no right or wrong answer. That’s a part of travel that I really love, and maybe there’s a form of unrealistic detachment in that approach, but many times I feel as though I’m a voyeur, observing remotely rather than noticing that I’m an active participant.

View of N Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the AirBnB - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Changdeokgung Palace - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Streetscape - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

My first full day in Seoul began with the journey from Incheon to the Jongno district, where I’d booked an Airbnb for the next three nights. As would become the norm during my time in South Korea, even with the obvious language barrier, everything in my daily scenario, each activity and action felt efficient that the usual challenges of travel were reduced to little more than exercises in logic and deduction. Navigating the metro, in particular, was a pleasure and quickly became one of the highlights of Seoul, offering effortless access to every corner of the city.

My first afternoon was centred around Gye-dong, within the Jongo district. The area is characterised by a traditional Korean style of build, ‘Hanoks’,  which are buildings designed to evoke and reflect the distinctive character of Korean aesthetics within its design quality. Whether the area was ‘authentic’ or just a modern characterisation of the traditional Korean ideal, it was very appealing to me. An historic area infused with contemporary cafes, dining and retail, it was a lovely place to immerse myself for the afternoon and just walk around within my own tempo.

The first place that I randomly found but recognised through earlier research, was Café Onion. Located in Anguk,  it is one of the most popular cafes in all of Seoul, known for its location within a gorgeous hanok, its wonderful courtyard and exquisite interior (and exterior). Aside from the aesthetic, the house made pastry and bread options were divine but as I discovered, not at all unique within a city that has an incredible passion for café’s, bakeries and great food. Indeed, everywhere small alley that I wandered in this area revealed another artisanal bakery or vibrant café – which just added to my quickly expanding list of must tries.

Cafe Onion - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Cafe Onion - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Min was kind enough to spin some tunes for me at this wonderful bar (bar name forgotten) - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Hanok - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

I had a quite comfortable and ‘smooth’ afternoon in this area of Jongno. In fact, reflecting on my time in Seoul, it all seemed to tranquilly wash over me, no challenges or difficulties. Kind of like wading through the shallow end of a pool, there’s not going to be any major surprises unless something goes dreadfully wrong, or, you feel an uneasy warmth around your legs because you’ve just past through a group of 5 yr olds.

My evening stroll drew me down into the area of Ikseon-dong, apparently one of Seoul’s most atmospheric neighbourhoods, and certainly one that became a favourite of mine during my stay. Tucked away within the heart of the city, its known for its narrow alleyways lined with traditional hanok houses, that very much like Gye-dong, have been transformed into stylish café’s, boutique shops, teahouses and restaurants. The area felt intimate, and at night, had a sense of mystery about it. Being so close to where I was staying the area was a real pleasure to allow myself to simply meander around and let myself just absorb my surrounds, taking in its vibrancy & charm, all without having to be on a deadline.

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Walking back to the AirBnB late in the evening, I strolled along Seosulla-gil, which sidles up against the grounds of the Jongmyo Shrine. A truly pleasant night with an evening temperature of about 28 degrees and thankfully dropping humidity. The day had seen the temperatures head into the mid-30’s with humidity in the mid 80’s, so the respite was welcome and even better were the proliferation of bars. My walk turned more into a bar-hop, with each stop being a new discovery, a new memory and a new reflection on what was starting to feel like quite dynamic & engaging city.

Seosulla-gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Seosulla-gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

View of N Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the AirBnB - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea