When I was planning on my first Korea trip, I remember asking some friends on where to stay in Korea. A lot of them answered Hongdae. I was a bit intrigued why most of them answered Hongdae. But when I finally got to stay there, I now know the reasons. And today, I'll be sharing to you the reasons why I love Hongdae.

When my friends and I have arrived at the Incheon International Airport, we immediately looked for the train to go to Hongik University. There are actually two types of train in the airport, the Express Train and the All Stop Train. The Express Train runs from the airport to Seoul Station while the All Stop Train stops at all the subway station.

Since we'll be staying in Hongdae, we used the All Stop Train and alight at Hongik University. And from there, we just walked to our chosen hotel/place.

When it comes to fashion, I really love how Koreans dress up. Through Hongdae's Shopping Area, I was able to buy cheap yet quality and beautiful clothes. Not only that, I also got to buy a bag worth 10,000 won. If only I have unlimited baggage, I would have bought a lot. Hongdae also have a lot of make-up stores. I don't usually wear make-up but my friends do so I got to check out those stores too.

There are also a lot of good restaurants and cafes in Hongdae. One of my favorite is the Hong Chun Cheon Cheese Dakgalbi. The staff there were really accommodating and they offer a large amount of food per order. You should definitely check it out once you visit Hongdae.

At night, there are a lot of performers in the street of Hongdae. It's either they sing, dance, or some have their own comedy shows. I am so happy to see this live. I only got to see this in KDramas. One of the reasons why I became interested with the Korean culture is because of KPOP. The artists are very talented. As a wannabe-artist, it's fun to watch these people showcasing their talents and having fun while doing it.

While walking to our place, I can see a lot of beautiful murals where you can actually take a picture with it and post it on Instagram. And look at my photo, they really put some light so that even at night, people can take a photo with it. Actually, not only the murals, but Hongdae is really an IG-worthy place.

During my stays in Korea, I make sure that I will always stay in Hongdae. In fact, I call Hongdae as my home in Korea. I feel safe in Hongdae (well, I feel safe anywhere in Korea). Once this pandemic is over, I will make sure to go back to Hongdae. Make sure to visit Hongdae if you go to South Korea soon!

Record of Youth is one of the KDramas that I am currently watching. I have been waiting for this drama because it's the last drama of Park Bogum as he enlisted in the military last August. I am also excited for this drama because it will not only talk about love, but also about life in general.

While watching the drama, there were familiar places that's why I loved it even more. In today's blog, I'll share to you the filming locations of Record of Youth that I have visited.

Starfield Library is located at the COEX Mall. It is a public library that consists of more than 50,000 books and magazines. Around 600 foreign and local magazines are available for reading. For me, the attractive part in this place is the 13 meter tall bookshelf with a very beautiful painting.

Address: 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

1. Take the Line 2 (Green) subway to Samseong Station

2. Use Exit 6 and just follow the signs to Starfield Coex Mall

3. The library is located in the main atrium.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is an events place. A lot of  international events, exhibits, and even fashion shows are held at this place. In an episode of Record of Youth, it is where the characters of Park Bo Gum and Park So Dam first met. I was screaming when I watched this episode because I literally walked at that place too.

I visited DDP last 2019 during the ACH Invitation Program. Together with PH representatives and other ASEAN participants, we attended the Public Diplomacy Week.

Address: 281, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

1. You can use Line 2, 4, 5 subway to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station and use Exit 1.

2. Another option, you can use Line 1 subway to Dongdaemun Station and use Exit 7. Then you'll walk to DDP.

Hongdae is one of my favorite places in South Korea. To be very honest, it is the place where we always stay. Main reason? It has an easy access to the subway (especially from the airport). Also, Hongdae is so alive every time I visit it.

On my next blog, I'll be writing a more detailed blog why I love Hongdae and why you should visit it too.

Address: 20, Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul

1. Take the subway Line 2 (Green) and stop at Hongik University Station and use Exit 9.

Record of Youth is still an on-going drama (as of writing) and who knows? I might be familiar with other filming locations! I will be updating this blog if I found some familiar filming locations.