Myeong-dong (명동) - Area information - Korea travel information

Myeong-dong (명동)

14.5Km    2024-05-17

66, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-778-0333

Myeong-dong is one of the primary shopping districts in Seoul. The two main streets meet in the center of the block with one beginning from Myeong-dong Subway Station (Seoul Subway Line No. 4) and the other from Lotte Department Store at Euljiro. Many brand name shops and department stores line the streets and alleys. Common products for sale include clothes, shoes, and accessories. Unlike Namdaemun or Dongdaemun, many designer brands are sold in Myeong-dong. In addition, several major department stores have branches here, including Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Myeong-dong Migliore, Noon Square and M Plaza. The department stores carry many premium labels and other fashionable goods at reasonable prices.

Myeong-dong also has family restaurants, fast food, plus Korean, Western and Japanese dining options. Many restaurants in Myeong-dong specialize in dongaseu (pork cutlet) and kalguksu (noodle soup). Other businesses in the area include hair salons, banks and theaters.

Pureun Arboretum & Hang-dong Railroad (푸른수목원&항동철길)

14.6Km    2025-01-17

240 Yeondong-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul

Pureun Arboretum is a botanical garden boasting well-established ecological parks and scenic walking trails. It encompasses diverse themed gardens, including the Wildflower Garden, Hydrangea Garden, Conifer Garden, Broadleaf Tree Garden, Bulbous Plant Garden, Wetland Garden, and Rose Garden, complemented by an Visitor Center. The Forest Learning School, functioning as a greenhouse, showcases plants from various corners of the globe and hosts educational programs. Visitors can avail themselves of facilities like the book café, a café, and a library. Additionally, the arboretum is intersected by the abandoned railroad tracks of Hang-dong.

NKDB North Korean Human Rights Exhibition Hall (북한인권전시실)

14.6Km    2025-11-13

393 Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul

The NKDB North Korean Human Rights Exhibition Hall is a permanent exhibition space dedicated to North Korean human rights.  Although it is a small space, it resonates deeply and serves as a "dark tourism" site that records and testifies to the ongoing reality of human rights violations in North Korea. The North Korean Human Rights Information Center (NKDB), which operates this exhibition hall, is the organization that collects and archives the most extensive records of human rights concerning North Korean residents in the world. The testimonies and records presented here represent a living history, a story unfolding in the present, unavailable elsewhere. Through donated North Korean artifacts, including these records, visitors can glimpse the present-day North Korea and encounter artwork by North Korean defectors.

Lime Tree Dental Hospital (라임나무치과병원)

14.6Km    2025-10-23

7F, 43 Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Located in Myeong-dong, the heart of Seoul tourism, Lime Tree Dental Hospital is a hospital-grade medical institute. It is led by In-su Kim, the Chief Director with 27 years of experience, and it has a team of specialists covering different departments. This hospital boasts superb accessibility as it is right near Myeong-dong Station (Subway Line 4) and Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station (Subway Line 2).
Skilled medical staff in esthetic prosthodontics are in charge of procedures such as One-day Veneer and All Ceramic Crowns. Additionally, medical staff who have experience placing over 35,000 dental implants directly perform implant procedures.
A leader in K-medicine, Lime Tree Dental Hospital is committed to giving customers the utmost satisfaction.

Changdeokgung Injeongmun Gate (창덕궁 인정문)

14.6Km    2025-01-14

99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3668-2300

Serving as the main gate of Injeongjeon Hall, Injeongmun Gate was established in 1405 (5th year of King Taejo’s reign during the Joseon dynasty). Later on, the gate was destroyed by multiple fires during the Imjin War (Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592), therefore current form of the establishment displays designs that are more often seen in the late 19th century's. In addition, a lot of subsidary marks and buildings are removed from the original places and relocated passing the time, however, still remains to represent prestigious ambience.

Injeongmun Gate served as the place for several coronation ceremonies of kings, prince's succession of throne, and many other national affairs celebrated by the royal members who gathered and aligned around this gate.

Etude house myeongdong chungmuro / 에뛰드하우스(명동충무로점)

14.6Km    2025-08-11

24-1, Myeongdong 8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-777-1704

Etude House is a cosmetics brand that sells makeup, hair, and fragrance products. The Etude House Myeongdong Chungmuro Branch, located in the heart of a major shopping district, carries a wide selection of cosmetics that customers may test before purchasing. Moreover, the brightly lit store interior, designed with a princess bedroom decor, adds fun to the experience.

It is visited largely by foreign customers from Japan, Thailand, China and other East Asian countries. To facilitate an easy shopping experience, the shop always has foreign staff available to assist. The most popular items include creams made using snail extract, lipsticks and eye shadows. Etude House also has many sales on facial mask packs, and tax refunds are available.

Starbucks Byuldabang (스타벅스 별다방)

14.6Km    2024-12-27

100 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

Byuldabang is a cozy space in the city, where the present and future of Starbucks coexist

Byuldabang is a special name. It combines the Korean words byul, which means stars, and dabang, which means a traditional space where people gather and talk over tea or drink. Byuldabang is the nickname Koreans generally use for Starbucks. Starbucks Byuldabang store opened in appreciation of customers of Starbucks Korea, celebrating its 22nd anniversary. This particular store is a Starbucks Reserve store with new concept food items, and is the first among Starbucks stores worldwide to have digital art wall decorations. The images projected to the art wall are “The Journey of Siren.” It is a surreal journey of Siren, who delivers coffee messages around the ocean, day and night. Customers love the story. 

Tapgol Park (탑골공원)

14.6Km    2024-03-04

99, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-731-0534

Tapgol Park is the first modern park in Seoul. Having been the site of the Buddhist temple of Wongaksa Temple since 1467, the land was turned into a park in 1897. The park has a significant presence in Korean history, being the place where the March 1 Independence Movement began in 1919. One can find historical sites that hearken back to the struggle, such as the Palgakjeong Pavilion, the center of the movement; cultural heritage sites such as the Ten-story Stone Pagoda of Wongaksa Temple Site and the Stele for the Construction of Daewongaksa Temple at Wongaksa Temple Site; and monuments such as the independence movement relief plate, murals, the statue of Son Byeong-hee, and the statue of Han Yong-un.

Tteulan Teahouse (뜰안)

14.6Km    2024-12-10

Tteulan Teahouse is a cafe that really allows one to feel the tradition and flair of Korea. Tteulan has two entrances: one facing the wide alley and the other facing the smaller one. The smaller entrance is decorated like a garden, so it feels as if one is stepping into a land of fairy-tales. The café has a floor seating tables with traditional items like gadari soban (a table with legs that curve like a dog's legs), and jogakbo (a textile woven from several pieces of scrap cloth), all of which add to the traditional Korean aesthetic. The menu features ssanghwacha (medicinal herb tea known to help the immune system), a favorite among middle-aged and elderly Koreans; omija tea (omija is a tart berry that grows in East Asia known to be good for lung and bronchial health and boosts immunity); citrus tea (usually made with yuzu which is rich in vitamin C and said to help mitigate fatigue); and pour-over coffee. Traditional desserts include mugwort rice cake (rice cake with mugwort added for herbal flavor, best enjoyed with malt syrup), pumpkin rice cake, and roasted grain powder (a nutritious beverage made with a variety of powdered grain). It can be hard to find seating in the afternoon, so visitors are advised to avoid these hours if they seek to enjoy their drink in peace.

Baekbeom Kim Koo Statue (Baekbeom Plaza) (백범김구선생상(백범 광장))

14.6Km    2025-10-23

Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul

Baekbeom Kim Koo Statue is located in Baekbeom Plaza in Namsan Park, Seoul. Erected in August 1969, the statue stands at a x_height of 10 meters. It commemorates the patriotic spirit of Kim Koo, who was both an independence activist and a politician in South Korea. During the Japanese colonial period, he actively participated in anti-Japanese movements, and after liberation, he played a leading role in the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea.