South Korea Seoul Trip Part 2: Walking around Myeong-dong in the Rain

[Introduction]

I traveled to Seoul, South Korea, in early September. Although I was not blessed with weather at all, I enjoyed the trip as the food was delicious and people were kind. In this article, I will write about walking around Myeong-dong in the rain as part of Day 1. As the largest entertainment district in Seoul, Myeong-dong had everything you need and had several spots where tourists can enjoy regardless of the weather, including “Myeong-dong Cathedral”, “ARC･N･BOOK” and “Star Avenue”.

[Visit Places (series of articles)]
* Day 1: Fly to Gimpo International Airport
* Day 1: Myeong-dong [This Article]
* Day 1: Myeong-dong (Light-up)
* Day 2: National Museum of Korea
* Day 2: War Memorial of Korea
* Day 2: Dongdaemun
* Day 2: Dongdaemun (Light-up)
* Day 3: Gyeongbokgung Palace
* Day 3: National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art etc.
* Day 3: Seoul Station
* Day 3: Seoul Station (Light-up)
* Day 4: Coex Aquarium and Starfield Library
* Day 4: Lotte World
* Day 4: Lotte World (Light-up)
* Day 5: Paradise City
* Day 5: Return Home from Incheon Airport & Stay Overnight at Narita Airport

[Travel Date]
2018.09.05-09

[Main Part]

Bibimbap at Gogung (古宮)

Following the previous post, I will walk around Myeong-dong after checking in “Sejong Hotel”, though it was raining.

A stuffed bear held an umbrella.

The rain was so hard, and I stopped by “Gogung (古宮)” to keep out the rain.

“Gogung (古宮)” is a traditional bibimbap restaurant whose main shop was located in “Jeonju (全州)”, the birth place of bibimbap.

In the restaurant.

As a feature of Korean cuisine, there are a variety of appetizers.

I ordered Yukhoe Bibimbap as a main dish.

To be honest, I visited the restaurant mainly because I would like to hide from the rain, but the food was more delicious than I expected and the staff were kind. So, I realized I would be able to find enjoyment in food even if I am not blessed with the weather in Seoul.

Walking around Myeong-dong in the Rain

As the rain became weaker a little, I will resume walking around Myeong-dong.

This is the main street of Myeong-dong. It seemed visitors were less than usual due to the rain.

There were lots of familiar shops along the street.

A brunch of Woori Bank. “BLACKPINK”, a famous South Korean girl group, was an image character.

I came to Myeong-dong Cathedral.

Myeong-dong Cathedral is the very first Roman Catholic parish church in Korea, which was built in 1898.

In the church.

I heard the church was also famous as shooting spots for dramas and movies.

Then, I will walk around the area where several shopping malls were located. First, “NOON SQUARE”.

A reddy bear called “Teddy Island” welcomed me.

In “Lotte Young Plaza”, there was a shop of “LINE FRIENDS”.

In addition, “KAKAO FRIENDS” shop was also located in “Lotte Young Plaza”.

“Lotte Department Store” was more luxury and had lots of upscale brand shops.

I came to “ARC･N･BOOK”.

“ARC･N･BOOK” is a stylish bookstore with cafe.

The highlight was a tunnel-like passage way with books.

Bookshelves were attractive.

While “Starfield Library” was famous as a photogenic library in Seoul (- I will visit it on the fourth day), “ARC･N･BOOK” was also impressive.

I returned to “Lotte Department Store” and dropped by “Star Avenue”.

Just like “Avenue of Stars” in Hong Kong, handprints of Korean stars were exhibited.

Videos of Korean idols such as BTS and TWICE were aired.

Then, the rain became harder again, so I will return to the hotel for the time being to wait and see how the weather is going.

Here is a photo I took on the way to the hotel at LINE FRIENDS Flagship Store.

[Closing]

That’s it for the article about walking around Myeong-dong in the rain as part of Day 1.

As the largest entertainment district in Seoul, Myeong-dong had everything you need such as shopping, food and accommodation. In particular, there are a variety of cosmetic and fashion shops. Even if you are not so much interested in shopping like me, Myeong-dong had several spots where tourists can enjoy regardless of the weather, including “Myeong-dong Cathedral”, “ARC･N･BOOK” and “Star Avenue”. So, I realized I made a right decision to stay in Myeong-dong as a first trip to Seoul.

In the next article, I will write about evening scene in Myeong-dong as part of Day 1.

[Map]

1. Gogung
2. Myeong-dong Cathedral
3. NOON SQUARE
4. Lotte Young Plaza
5. Lotte Department Store
6. ARC･N･BOOK
7. LINE FRIENDS Flagship Store

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