You Step Out of Hongik University Station—So Where's the Hongdae Everyone Talks About?

Street performers busking on a busy Hongdae street at night as people stop to watch near shops and cafes.

When you step out of Hongik University Station, you may not see the Hongdae you were expecting right away.

In videos, Hongdae is full of music, street performances, bright signs, and crowds of young people. But outside the station, the first things you notice are usually a wide road, bus stops, chain stores, and people walking quickly past you.

That is when the questions start.

Is this really Hongdae? Where do I go to find the Hongdae everyone talks about?

On your first visit, you might pause here for a moment. What you expected to see still isn't there, and the map is full of names you don't recognize.

Walk a Little Farther In to Find the Hongdae You Expected

The area right outside Hongik University Station is more like a gateway to the busier streets farther in.

About five minutes from the station, Sangsangmadang becomes a useful landmark for getting your bearings. Around there, you start to see performance spots, alleys lined with cafes, small shops, and photo booths close together. The feel of the street begins to change.

A little farther in, you start to see people checking menus outside restaurants, waiting for friends, and coming out of side alleys carrying shopping bags.

On the map, different places around Hongdae can look like separate destinations. But once you start walking, many of the streets and alleys are close together and connected. Instead of trying to track down every place you see on the map, it is simpler to use one easy-to-spot landmark, such as Sangsangmadang, and follow the alleys from there.

If an alley gets too crowded or you start to lose your sense of direction, step back out onto a wider road and use that landmark to get your bearings again.

When People Start to Slow Down, the Pace of the Street Changes

Farther in, people suddenly start to slow down.

A loose circle forms in the middle of the street. Someone starts dancing, someone else starts singing, and people nearby hold up their phones to record.

When the song or dance ends, there is a short round of applause and people scatter again. A little later, another group may start performing in the same spot.

Take a Break and Decide What You Want to Do Next

After watching performances and wandering through the alleys, you may end up walking more than you planned. When you want a break, you can sit down at a cafe, look at the map, and decide which way to go next.

If you want to keep shopping close to the station, you don't need to walk much farther.

If you want quieter streets with cafes and small shops, you can head toward Yeonnam-dong.

If you want to keep walking through streets lined with cafes, restaurants, and small shops, you can continue toward Sangsu and Hapjeong.

Trying to do all three at once means more walking and less time to actually take in any one street.



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