Myeong-dong, Namdaemun, Bukchang-dong, Da-dong and Mugyo-dong Special Tourist Zone (명동 남대문 북창동 다동무교동 관광특구)

1.5Km 2021-12-30

40, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3396-4622

Myeong-dong, Namdaemun, Bukchang-dong and Da-dong are widely known among international visitors as hot spots for shopping and food.

Myeong-dong is a popular destination for shopping, culture, arts and fashion. Major shopping malls such as Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Myeong-dong Migliore and Samik Fashion Town are located here. Shoppers can find a variety of products here from high-end items to relatively inexpensive clothes. There’s also no shortage of street food, traditional restaurants, coffee shops and fancy cafes.

Namdaemun Market is the biggest traditional market in Korea. Visitors can purchase souvenirs and local produce at an affordable price in the shopping complex crowded with stores and street stalls. The market sells a variety of clothes, kitchenware, toys, accessories, food, flowers and imported goods.

Bukchang-dong and Sogong-dong have high-end accommodations including Lotte Hotel Seoul and Westin Chosun Seoul, duty-free shops, and restaurants serving traditional dishes.

[Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market and Bukchang-dong Special Tourist Zone]
Areas included: Myeong-dong, Bukchang-dong, Mugyo-dong and Da-dong, Seoul
Area size: 872,809 ㎡
Tourist attractions: Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market and Bukchang-dong, Department Stores (Lotte Department and Shinsegae Department Store, etc.), Traditional Market, Duty-free Shop, Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, etc.

Sungnyemun Gate (숭례문)

1.5Km 2024-11-27

40 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul

Sungnyemun Gate is Korea’s National Treasure No. 1, and its unofficial name is Namdaemun Gate. Sungnyemun Gate is the largest castle gate stone structure with an arched entrance in the middle. There’s a column on top of a platform, raising the roof, distinguishing the upper stories and lower stories of the building. Passageways for traffic are located at the east and west ends of the gate. Different from the other gates, Sungnyemun Gate’s tablet has its name written vertically.

On February 10, 2008, Sungnyemun was destroyed by fire. After a 5-year reconstruction work, the gate was re-opened to the public again on May 4, 2013.

Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

1.5Km 2024-11-28

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-737-6444

Deoksugung Palace has held a guard changing ceremony since 1996 after thorough historical research by leading historians. The ceremony, which is held in front of Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace, is a tradition similar to the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and offers a rare opportunity to experience royal culture. The royal gate is opened and closed at pre-determined times, and the gatekeepers in charge of guard duty and patrols hold a shift ceremony three times a day.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a highly recommended event for tourists. It is held three times a day, with each ceremony following the same procedure and lasts for forty minutes to an hour, and the ceremony is free of charge. There are no ceremonies on Mondays as well as on severely cold or hot days.

As the ceremony begins, the changing of the guards commences replete with traditional musical instruments, and exchanges a password for verification. An eight-minute guard ceremony ensues, followed by a seven-minute change ceremony, and finally a patrol that completes the ceremony. The procedure takes a dramatic turn when 18 guards in six official positions beat a drum and bellow some orders.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene. The guards’ splendid costumes, with their brilliant primary colors, are a pleasure to view. Once the ceremony is over, visitors can take pictures with the gatekeepers.

JDX - Jongno Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (JDX 종로)

1.5Km 2024-04-19

1F, 236-1, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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Tong-In Store (통인가게)

1.5Km 2020-05-07

32, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-733-4867

Tong-In Store is the oldest traditional crafts shopping center in Korea. It is home to over 100 shops that sell ancient and contemporary traditional crafts, as well as galleries that display craft collections by emerging artists.

Imun Seolnongtang (이문설농탕)

1.5Km 2025-06-18

38-13 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-733-6526

Imun Seolnongtang has been serving its hearty seolleongtang for over a hundred years since it first opened in 1907. Even its name has a long history: the word imun comes from Imun-gol, the now-obsolete name of the restaurant’s location, and seolnongtang, an old variation of the word seolleongtang. During the Japanese colonial rule, the restaurant’s regular customers included Gijeong Son, the marathon gold-medalist at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The meal served at this restaurante is reputed to stay consistent from the Japanese colonial period.

Jinhyang Jokbal (진향족발)

1.5Km 2024-10-15

231-1, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-745-5533

A pig's trotter(s) specialty restaurant located near Jongno 5(o)ga Station in Seoul. One of the top 5 jokbal (pig's trotter) restaurants in Seoul. This restaurant's signature menu is braised pigs' feet.

Restaurant DAM (레스토랑담)

1.5Km 2021-03-30

30-7, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-730-3624

It is a gallery-like restaurant where you can enjoy paintings by famous artists. This restaurant's signature menu is pork shoulder steak. This Western dishes restaurant is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Korean Craft Hall (한국공예관)

1.5Km 2021-07-08

33, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-720-3301

The Korean Craft Hall, located in Insa-dong, displays and sells Korean crafts by artists in Cheongju. It presents over 100 different kinds of crafts including crafts related to Jikji (the oldest remaining book in the world using the metal printing method). Customers are exposed to rich informaton on Jikji and the International Craft Biennale. Main products include neckties (using metal printing), pottery, textile crafts, jewelry, and products using Korean traditional patterns and handwritings.

Tteul Gwa Dawon (뜰과다원)

1.5Km 2019-11-12

6-4, Insadong 8-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-734-5310

Tteul Gwa Dawon (literally "yard and tea garden") is an up-scale hanok-style tea and coffee house where you can enjoy a tranquil garden in the center of Seoul.

The tea and coffee shop offers traditional Korean tea made of 100% natural ingredients, as well as organic coffee. It is equipped with large private rooms which can accomodate a large number of guests, making it the best place to hold seminars or other types of social gatherings.

Tea, rice cakes, and other traditional snacks served here can be a good alternative for when you're in between meals.

Myeong-dong, Namdaemun, Bukchang-dong, Da-dong and Mugyo-dong Special Tourist Zone (명동 남대문 북창동 다동무교동 관광특구) - Area information - Korea travel information