4 Iconic Locations Of Recently Popular K-Dramas That You Can Actually Visit
Recently, a part of the K-Drama watching experience has started expanding into tourism, as more and more fans go looking for the actual locations where their favorite shows were shot.
The scenic beauty portrayed in Hometown Cha Cha Cha attracted hoards of tourists to Pohang, the real-life location of the show’s fictitious village Gongjin. Extraordinary Attorney Woo ended up boosting sales of the Japanese restaurant Kazaguruma in Suwon, which appeared as the Woo Young Woo Kimbap shop in the drama.
In 2022 and 2023 so far, quite a few K-Dramas have hit the spot with both their scripts and some of their landmark location choices. So, if you are a fan of K-Dramas and are planning a trip to South Korea anytime soon, here are four iconic locations that you can actually add to your itinerary:
1. The Glory— Cheongna Lake Park, Incheon
One of the most visually pleasing sets in The Glory is the giant board of Paduk that Ha Do Yeong, the husband of Dong Eun’s bully, helps build inside a park. The game of Paduk or Go, carries a very important symbol in the show, making this park a central part of it as well.
The park was actually built by the filming crew for the show. The giant Go board is made of stone and covers 2,777 square feet of area. After the filming, the Incheon Facilities Corporation decided to leave the board at the park to encourage fans to visit the place themselves. Though the huge Go stones you see in the drama are not there in real life, you can still walk across the board and play a game of Go at the park.
2. The Interest of Love— Euljiro Nogari Street, Seoul
This Yoon Yoo Seok and Moon Ga Young-starrer tells the story of a growing romance between two people working at the same bank. This office-romance drama features frequent scenes of colleagues eating out together for hoesik or after-work dinners.
One real-life location where the drama’s characters can be seen eating is Euljiro Nogari street, a small alleyway near Euljiro 3-ga Station filled with small pubs selling food and beer. Yoon Yoo Seok’s character Ha Sang Soo goes to grab a beer with his work friends at Nogari street in the show.
The place has a retro touch to it, where customers eat and drink outside at colorful plastic tables and chairs. The street’s name nogari actually refers to a butterflied and dried pollock dish, which is sold at the pubs for 1,000 per fillet.
3. Reborn Rich— Former Busan Mayor’s office and residence
In the show Reborn Rich, viewers can see many luxurious houses, one of which is the house of Jin Yang Chul, a chabeol played by Lee Sung Min.
On the show, Yang Chul’s house is said to be located in Jung District of central Seoul. But in real life, the house can be found in Busan’s Suyeong District. The building was once the official residence and office of Busan’s mayors. But when current mayor Park Heong Joon decided not to move into the property, it has been kept open to the public since 2021.
However, visitors are only restricted to the vast park area outside the house and cannot actually enter the building. But the area outside is a spectacle by itself, spread over 18,015 square meters with greenery full of 20,00 trees, completed with a pond as well. Located on the edge of Mount Hwangnyeong, the place offers a breathtaking view of Busan’s Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge.
City government reports that tourists have been frequently visiting this site after the premier of Reborn Rich. The house might actually be opened up for public visits in 2024.
4.Work Later, Drink Now—Golmok Sikdang, Gyeonggi
A significant chunk of the story of Work Later, Drink Now actually takes place inside a quaint restaurant where the three friends, So Hee, Ji Yeon, and Ji Goo, who are also the protagonists of the story, meet frequently for a drink.
The restaurant is known as Ohbokjip in the drama series, but is actually called Golmok Sikdang, Korean for alleyway restaurant. It can be found in Euijeongbu in Gyeonggi, and is right next to Omok Park, which is also often featured on the show.
It has a cozy atmosphere because it used to be an actual house, which was later renovated into a restaurant. The interior is slightly different from what you see in the drama series, but you can still find the open kitchen and bar area where the restaurant owner is often seen busily cooking food for the three friends.
Though in the show, the restaurant is called Ohbokjip, in real life, it is actually named Golmok Sikdang. The cozy eatery is located in Euijeongbu in Gyeonggi, right next to Omok Park, which also happens to be another prime location of the show.
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