Day 39 - Seoul Tour - Aug 2

Gangnam District

Today we headed to the posh Gangnam District of Seoul, made world famous by the PSY song Gangnam Style, the most played song on YouTube with almost 6 billion views. To commemorate the occasion I attempted to imitate the signature pony riding stance from the song at the statue erected in PSY honor, to no embarrassment of Ava I'm sure.

K-Star Road

We took a quick detour to K-Star Road,  a street lined with bear statues representing K-pop groups. Sadly not as impressive as the like of the Hollywood walk of fame. There were only one or two bears per block. We did recognize a few of the groups and got too window shop. Although I'm sure anything we saw here we couldn't afford.

My favorite is the Bear in the middle. Although that's less K-Pop and more C-Pop (Canadian Poppa).

This building is crazy. 20 stories but with a foot print no bigger than my house. No space is wasted.

Bongeunsa Temple

Stopped at Bongeunsa Temple just across form the COEX Mall. A serene escape in the heart of the city, with Towering Buddha statue and tranquil gardens. Dates back to 794.

Starfield Coex Mall

COEX Mall is the largest underground mall in Seoul and one of the largest in all of Asia. You can probably guess who requested we go here...

COEX K‑POP Square LED façade, one of the largest and most iconic outdoor digital screens in all of Asia, best known for its viral 3D “WAVE” illusion. Unfortunately we didn't get to see anything too spicy, but I included a video of what of what it could look like.

I love the branding of this burger joint — ‘good enough’. They’ve fully embraced being the kings of mediocrity. But honestly, the price was right for the area, and the food ended up being better than the slogan promised.

Starfield Library

Located in the mall, this library is Instagram‑famous for its towering bookshelves. I have no idea how anyone is supposed to reach most of them, but I assume there’s a book somewhere that explains the process — probably on the highest shelf.

Coex Aquarium

Also in the mall is COEX Aquarium which stands out for its huge variety of themed zones. It’s also home to one of the largest shark habitats in Korea.

Hongdae Street

In the evening we went to Hongdae Street, which is famous for its street performers, especially on Saturdays. I was hoping to catch a K‑Pop show, but the big names sell out months in advance, and to my surprise I couldn’t even find anything from the lesser‑known groups. So this will have to do.

Lots of great street food.

You can try to punch this boxer, for a fee. Girls can try for 1/2 price.

All kinds of street performances including singing, dancing and variety shows.

If you peek into the windows of this doll‑house‑themed building, you’ll find a maze of karaoke rooms where people go to show off their talent — or at least their enthusiasm!