Hongdae (Hongik University Street) · 홍대
Hongdae is a young neighbourhood known for street performances, music and art. Hongdae Walking Street is crowded with buskers every night, and a forest path on the old railway line runs all the way to Yeonnam-dong. Foreign travellers named it their “best place” second only to Myeongdong.
7.4%The second most-named “best place visited” among foreign travellers — 2025 International Visitor Survey, all respondents
42.2%Visited by 42.2% of foreign tourists in Seoul — 2025 Seoul Tourism Survey (foreign visitors), “Hongik Univ. Station, Sinchon and Hapjeong area” item
The official name of the neighbourhood in front of Hongik University is Seogyo-dong (西橋洞). Long ago, the stream coming down from the Yeonhui-dong valley split into many branches, and many small bridges, called jandari, were built over them. The lower village there, Seosegyo-ri, became Seogyo-jeong in 1936 and Seogyo-dong in 1946.
An old railway line once ran between Hongdae and Sinchon. The lane where the crossing barrier rang “ttaeng-ttaeng” every time a train passed was called Ttaengttaeng-geori, and it is known as the place where Hongdae culture, best known for its music and art, began.
In 1999 Alternative Space Loop, one of Korea’s 1st-generation alternative art spaces, settled in Hongdae. Art creation spaces also opened, such as the Seogyo Art Experiment Center, with artworks placed throughout the building.
The old Gyeongui Line, no longer used by trains, became a park. Starting with the Daeheung-dong section in 2012, the 6.3km Gyeongui Line Forest Park was completed in 2016, and around Hongik Univ. Station, Gyeongui Line Book Street, themed on books, opened along with the forest path. The section from Hongik Univ. Station to Yeonnam-dong goes by the nickname Yeontral Park.
Walk from Exit 8 or 9 of Hongik Univ. Station towards Hongik University and you reach Hongdae Walking Street. Buskers gather every night, and bars and Korean barbecue restaurants crowd around the wooden stage and the open-air plaza. Across the street, small clothing shops line Hongtong-geori.
The lane to the left of Hongik University’s main gate is lined with murals and cafés, and towards Exit 3 of the station, a forest path with a ginkgo avenue and lawns stretches all the way to Yeonnam-dong.
At the art café on the 1st floor of the Seogyo Art Experiment Center on Jandari-ro, anyone can stop for a free cup of tea. Alternative Space Loop on Wausan-ro still shows experimental contemporary art.
서울특별시 마포구 홍익로 22 (마포관광정보센터)