Many know Hannam-dong as one of Seoul's wealthiest neighborhoods, a hilly pocket of Yongsan-gu lined with embassies and diplomatic residences. Designer flagships, art spaces and boutiques share the same slope, drawing the fashion-conscious to explore its alleys and enjoy one of the capital's quieter shopping experiences. The elbow room is what matters for travelers weighing Hannam against Seongsu-dong. Seongsu now absorbs a large portion of Seoul's shopping tourism and pop-ups, and weekends ther

Once an industrial district of flour mills and workshops for handmade shoes, eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong has become one of the city's most closely watched neighborhoods for fashion and beauty. Factory buildings that once turned out footwear now house design studios and flagship stores, and the area draws a steady mix of foreign visitors and young locals. The shift picked up in the 2010s, when repurposed warehouses such as Daelim Changgo were reborn as cafes and cultural spaces. It accelerated a

Seoul's most authentic local food spots aren't in Seongsu or Hongdae. They're hidden beneath apartment blocks. The restaurants that have defined everyday Korean dining aren't always the ones making headlines. Many have quietly thrived inside "sangga" — commercial arcades built for Korea's large apartment complexes. Here, regulars outnumber tourists by far, and reputations are built over decades, not social media. One of the best-known examples is Eunma Apartment. Nearly half a century old, it re

GANGJIN, HAENAM, MOKPO, SOUTH JEOLLA PROVINCE — Have you walked any of the Korea Dulle Trail, the 4,500-kilometer route that rings the country's coastline and border? The trail strings together four routes: the Haeparang Trail along the east coast, the Namparang Trail across the south, the Seohaerang Trail up the west coast and the DMZ Peace Trail near the northern border. At 5.7 times the length of Spain's Camino de Santiago, it would take about eight months to finish at a pace of 20 kilometers