The K-pop lover’s guide to Seoul

CNN: The past few years have been huge for South Korean pop music.
Although the nation’s music industry has been going strong since the 1990s, more recently K-pop has managed to make serious inroads in other parts of the world.
The year 2017 in particular saw history made via the seven-member group BTS. They became the first South Korean act to top the Billboard album charts.
Last year, they won the “Favorite Social Artist” prize at the 2018 American Music Awards, beating out Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Shawn Mendes.
Conventions devoted to K-pop and concerts from top-level acts have become commonplace abroad.
But many folks consider a trip to Seoul the ultimate way to experience their favorite music industry. Even stepping out of arrivals, you’ll be met by ads featuring stars and hear hits playing off in the distance. It’s becoming a cornerstone of inbound tourism for South Korea.
Just this week, the Seoul city government announced it will open the country’s first K-pop arena in 2024 to attract more foreign travel.
“We plan to start the work to construct the concerts-only complex, Seoul Arena, in September next year on a 50,149-square-meter lot near Changdong Station for completion at the end of 2023,” a city official was quoted by the Korea Herald.
Can’t wait five years? In the meantime, there are plenty of places for devotees to swing by in South Korea’s capital to get their K-pop fix. Here are a few of our favorites.
SM Entertainment is one of the biggest Korean music companies around and helped make K-pop what it is today. Fittingly, they’ve built themselves a massive structure in the heart of Seoul targeted at K-pop superfans.
SMTOWN at COEX Artium houses a variety of attractions centered around their roster of K-pop superstars (including Girls’ Generation, Exo and TVXQ among others). Billed as a “theme park in the city,” visitors can check out six floors of Korean musical history.
The centerpiece for K-pop fans is the museum. It features a comprehensive archive along with famous outfits worn by various Korean pop artists. Visitors can also take photos with augmented versions of their favorites, or even see what a recording studio looks like.
Elsewhere, people can enjoy a variety of sweets and drinks at their cafe space (complete with impressive ice cream selection) or take in a daily show on the top floor. And of course, they have a comprehensive gift store catering to every SM fandom.