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Hashtag Korea
Gwanghwamun revamped: old sounds, but new look

With tributes to tragedies and continued political protests in the newly renovated plaza, Gwanghwamun brings mix of feelings to Seoulites On Saturday, an estimated 20,000 people gathered on the streets of Jung-gu, Seoul near City Hall Station and Gwanghwamun Station in memory of the Itaewon tragedy
Nov. 6, 2022 - 15:09:24
Hashtag Korea
Art meets rusty factories in Seoul’s Mullae-dong

Murals, free art exhibitions, industrial-style cafes give fresh life to a declining factory town The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the subway stations and surrounding areas across the city. -- Ed. A roughly five-minute walk from Exit No. 7 of Mullae Stati
Oct. 23, 2022 - 13:33:57
Social Affairs
Heritage and trends mix fashionably in Seongsu

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. Strolling through the vicinity of Seongsu Station, one can get an idea of what is considered hip in Korea these days: It has to be artsy, independent an
Oct. 11, 2022 - 10:07:17
Hashtag Korea
Noksapyeong Station is one big art project

Station a popular filming spot due to unique structure, says Seoul Metro Noksapyeong Station’s name might not be as widely recognized as Itaewon, the next stop on Seoul Metro’s Line No. 6. But partygoers heading to the nearby neighborhood on the weekend and residents of Haebangchon and Gyeongridan-g
Sept. 20, 2022 - 11:39:44
Social Affairs
[Subway Stories] Sinchon, a playground for K-pop lovers

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. On a recent Wednesday, a square near exit No. 2 of Sinchon Station was packed with people, predominantly young and female. The crowds were for Enhypen, a rookie boy band from Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, who was holding a fan meet-and-greet event there. While the septet said hello to fans one b
Aug. 7, 2022 - 10:21:59
Hashtag Korea
[Subway Stories] Love and hate for Seoul’s largest meat market in Majang Station

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories — a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. It’s 10 minutes’ walk from the station, but your nose already knows: The air smells like a meat market. Majang Station on Seoul Subway Line No. 5 is known for its market, where nearly 60 percent of all meat and meat by-products distributed in Seoul are handled. For locals, this is also the place to go to g
Aug. 1, 2022 - 10:36:26
Hashtag Korea
[Subway Stories] Tidbits and tales behind jaw-dropping growth of Seoul subway

Seoul currently boasts one of the longest metro systems in the world, exceeded in length by only seven regions including Shanghai, London, Moscow and New York. What started out as a single line system in 1974 has expanded exponentially to nearly 300 kilometers connecting some 300 stations scattered across 11 lines, not counting the nine additional routes like the Suin-Budang Line that connects the capital with its satellite cities. Now, those 11 subway lines carry 7.2 million pasengers every
July 18, 2022 - 17:27:23
Hashtag Korea
[Subway Stories] Samseong Station at the heart of glitzy Gangnam

In Korean, Samseong Station on Line No. 2 is written and pronounced exactly the same as Samsung, the country’s No. 1 conglomerate by any measure. Even some locals presume the two to be related, given the firm’s nearly ubiquitous presence in South Korea. They aren’t. Rather, it is the another Korean corporate behemoth -- Hyundai Motor Group -- that is linked to it. In 2014, the auto group bid a jaw-dropping 10.5 trillion won ($8.04 billion) to buy a plot
June 27, 2022 - 11:37:55
Social Affairs
[Subway Stories] Why Euljiro 3-ga Station is also called 'Shinhan Card Station'

When navigating through Seoul’s subway system, you will see that some stations have two names. Euljiro 3-ga Station, located in central Seoul with Line 2 and Line 3 running through, is also called “Shinhan Card station” after a credit card company whose headquarters is 10 minutes away on foot. English teacher David Stewart, 31, said displaying two names, which is designed to generate additional income for the city’s railway system, is understandable. “I barely p
June 19, 2022 - 15:27:16
Travel
[Subway Stories] Melting pot of culture, shopping and tourism in Dongdaemun

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed Step out of Exit No. 12 at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on the Seoul subway and turn left at the second corner, and you will yourself surrounded by the Cyrillic alphabet. The area is commonly known as the Gwanghui-dong Central Asia Street, with scores of shops run by Russians, Uzbeks and Mongolians. The street is one of the
June 12, 2022 - 15:20:28
Travel
[Subway Stories] Royal tombs along subway lines

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed. On a subway map of Seoul, some stations have names that end in the same Korean letter, romanized as “reung,” or “neung.” Signifying the burial mounds of kings and queens, the stations are where the royal mausoleums from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) lie, a reminder of Seoul’s long history as the capital city.
May 23, 2022 - 10:40:34
Social Affairs
[Subway Stories] Jongno 3-ga is where old meets new

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. Jongno 3-ga has 16 exits with three subway lines running through the station. The sheer number speaks volumes for the significance of Jongno-gu, which is central to the lives of people in Seoul. Meaning Bell Street, with the bell in the name referring to Bosingak that sits at Jonggak intersection, Jongno is one of the busiest
May 8, 2022 - 14:24:17
Social Affairs
Thrift shops, hipsters and Chinese god of war at Dongmyo

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed. 　 Dongmyo Station on Subway Lines No. 1 and 6 takes its name from a shrine for a Chinese god of war -- Guan Yu. Most visitors, however, are indifferent to the pavi
April 11, 2022 - 10:24:55
Social Affairs
[Subway Stories] Daerim, a hub of Korean Chinese culture hoping to shake negative image

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed. An exotic scene created by the mixture of Korean and Chinese culture unfolds when walking out of Exit 12 at Daerim Station on subway lines No. 2 and 7 in southwestern Seoul. Large restaurants with colorful signs written in Chinese sell hot pot and lamb skewers, dishes that have become increasingly popular among Koreans in recent years. Small shops f
March 20, 2022 - 17:46:45
Culture
[Subway Stories] Samgakji becomes home to K-pop, K-beauty powerhouses

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. Located in Yongsan in central Seoul, Samgakji Station sits one stop away from Noksapyeong Station, where people would ride past to go partying in Itaewon or head to dine out at restaurants in Gyeongnidan and Haebangchon. It is also within walking distance of Sinyongsan and Yongsan stations. Stuck between the more popular d
March 13, 2022 - 15:57:49