Seongsu, Seoul
Seongsu is a trendy part of Seoul that attracts the young and hip
Formerly an industrial area, it has become a hub for cafes and fashion
It’s often referred to as the “Brooklyn of Seoul”
Updated in June 2025
As one of Seoul’s most appealing neighborhoods, Seongsu shines due to its “newtro” (new + retro) vibe.
If doing a little bit of shopping and exploring the amazing local cafe culture sounds like your thing, you’ll want to visit this area. I’ve been fortunate to visit Seoul several times now, and Seongsu has become one of my favorite places in the city.
I’ll recommend some places that I think are worth a visit.
How to get there
The main station is Seongsu Station, and it’s accessible on Seoul Subway Line 2. The line also hits other popular stations such as Gangnam, Euljiro 3(sam)-ga, Euljiro 4(sa)-ga, Dongdaemun History & Culture Park and others.
About Seongsu
One of the things that’s immediately noticeable when arriving at Seongsu is that it doesn’t feel like a place that was meant to become a popular destination. The main station is on the smaller side, there aren’t many tall, modern buildings, and the streets themselves are far from being the most well-maintained in the city.
Seongsu is traditionally an industrial area known for making shoes and other goods. On the surface, this is how most of the area looks even now, but open the doors to a few of these buildings and you may be surprised.
On the other side of many of these industrial facades are restaurants and cafes. I’ve been to a few great ones (introduced near the bottom of this page), and they’re absolutely worth visiting. The interiors have been gutted and machinery and workers have been replaced with artistic interiors, delicious smells and people socializing.
Shopping is also a popular thing to do here as there are a few shopping complexes and boutiques.
I have videos that I visited Seongsu in if you’re curious to see what the experience is like. Here’s one video (start at 5:32) and a previous video (start at 0:51).
Seongsu’s recent changes
I visited Seongsu in 2019, 2023, and 2024, and its rise in popularity over the years can really be felt. Luxury and big name brands have begun to open up in the area, slightly changing the overall feel while taking away from previously booming areas like Garosu-gil in Apgujeong.
Here are a few places I’ve visted in Seongsu:
Seongsu Yeonbang
Once a chemical plant, the building was renovated and repurposed to become a shopping and dining complex. Most of the stores surround a courtyard which acts as the main entrance.
One of the notable stores is Thingool Market, a lifestyle shop on the first floor that carries everything from fashion accessories to home interior items and dishes. It’s a good one-stop shop if you’re looking to bring back something for yourself or a friend from your trip to Seoul.
LCDC
What is now a modern commercial complex was once an auto repair shop and shoe manufacturing company. It’s pretty difficult to see any traces of them, and what was probably a place full of blue collar workers seemed to be a gathering place for the hip and modern.
A cafe with outdoor seating in the courtyard is on the first floor with some trendy fashion and lifestyle shops upstairs. There’s also a open hangout area at the top, which is also directly accessible from a stairway that goes down to the street corner. This provided a decent spot to do some people watching down below.
Common Ground
It’s said that Common Ground is the largest shipping container mall in the world. Comprised of 200 shipping containers, Common Ground features brand-named shops, pop-ups and eateries, and aims to serve as an innovative cultural platform for creativity.
The complex is on the Konkuk University side of Seongsu and matches the area’s vibe perfectly. Personally, I wish there were more shops and attractions here, but it’s worth a stop if you’re in the area as you can see the possibilities of creating an attractive environment out of something like shipping containers.
https://www.common-ground.co.kr/
Understand Avenue
Another shipping container complex, Understand Avenue is a walkway next to Seoul Forest Park, towards the opposite end of where Common Ground is located. It serves as a startup platform for creators and young entrepreneurs to pursue things that they’re good at. Here, they can get many kind of support, from market testing to distribution and more.
The benefit for us is we can walk by and pop in to new startup brands and fresh ideas. The complex also hosts celebrity pop-ups. This is fitting as it’s located right next to SM Entertainment, the company that’s responsible for some of Korea’s biggest stars like aespa, BoA, Girls’ Generation, RIIZE and more.
https://www.understandavenue.co.kr/ [KR]
Here’s a video where I visit this side of Seongsu, going to Seoul Forest Park and passing through Understand Avenue (start at 0:40):
Boutiques
Just going for a stroll around Seongsu will lead you to come across interesting boutiques and people.
Being that it’s a trendy neighborhood, you will find a lot of locals dressed up in the latest fashion and a bunch of shops to browse. Here are a few sights from Seongsu:
Where to eat
Cafe Onion
Possibly the hippest cafe chain in the city with locations that are converted old buildings. Their spot in Seongsu is in a gutted 1970s building that served as a former factory.
Cafe Onion Seongsu manages to balance old and new perfectly, and in doing this, makes for an extremely photogenic hang out. There are multiple seating areas, nooks and a rooftop as well. Their coffees and artisanal, homemade pastries and baked goods are tasty.
Great place to stop by when exploring the area and to take pictures.
Grandpa Factory
Built in an old factory, Grandpa Factory has three floors and outdoor seating so you can enjoy a meal, coffee or alcohol.
This cafe is known for its appearance in popular drama, “Vincenzo”, but its vibe and overall atmosphere does itself justice.
With ample seating inside and outside, including a literal treehouse space, Grandpa Factory not only has good food and drinks but it also showcases how old buildings can be successfully repurposed and utilized.
This was a great place that you’re sure to like.
Le Freak
As good of a fried chicken sandwich as you can find anywhere. The design of Le Freak gives off an upscale vibe, and has a counter as well as booth seats.
Each sandwich is carefully crafted in their open kitchen. The chicken, which is full of flavor, is light and crispy on the outside but incredibly juicy and tender on the inside with a light spiciness to it. If you're dropping by, make sure to avoid work lunch hours as it can get pretty busy.
I've been to Seoul several times and have had a lot of good food. This is one I'll come back to.
Grandmother’s Recipe
Traditional Korean meals served teishoku style at a cafe. Grandmother’s Recipe is located in an old house on a side street in Seongsu, near Seoul Forest Park, and is a popular spot for a good, hearty meal.
We ordered the Ssambap Jeongsik (pork lettuce wraps) and the Bibimbap Bulgogi Jeongsik (beef, vegetables, and rice to mix together), along with magkeolli. Fresh ingredients throughout and well-balanced, you could tell everything was carefully prepared.
The space is tight and it does get busy, but it’s worth the wait. The staff was friendly, and it made for a great lunch while exploring this side of Seongsu.
https://grandmarecipe.modoo.at/ [KR]
Rain Report
If you find relaxing or working over coffee and the sound of water appealing, you’ll like Rain Report.
The concept of this amazing cafe is based around a nature, but done in a sleek, dark setting. Inside, there are counter seats, tables and even sofa lounge seats that you can relax in, and the detailed digital decorations reflect the vibe of being in nature. Outside, a huge waterfall continuously flows down the large windows, providing the main sound of the cafe.
Their drinks are great but don’t go too late or they may be out of pastries. Overall, another fantastic spot that takes Seoul’s cafe culture to another level.
Lowide Coffee Bakery
A nice cafe to stop by while exploring this part of Seongsu. Lowide Coffee Bakery is located in an old house that’s been converted and offers a relaxed vibe over two floors.
All of the pastries looked good, and they had a pretty wide selection. We got a pain au chocolat, and it didn’t disappoint. The cafe latte was also delicious.
While Lowide isn’t as aesthetically impactful as some of the other cafes I’ve been to in Seongsu, it’s convenient, with good menu items and a pleasant atmosphere.
Keep in touch:
Euljiro’s neighborhoods feature pojangmacha street food stalls, hip drinking spots, local markets and a stream for scenic strolls.