KOREA ON CUE · ISSUE 00 · SEONGSU

First Coffee to Blue Hour

Spend a day in Seongsu, from your first coffee to the evening light. Explore walking routes, outfits for a day on foot, and the café culture along the way.

Read the first storyStart with the route
A quiet brick-fronted cafe street in Seongsu on an early autumn morning, a single takeaway coffee on an outdoor table, the street receding into low sunlight

Start here

First time in SeongsuStart with the five gaps between the saved feed and the street, then take the route.Five Things to Check Before Your First Seongsu Visit Deciding what to wearStart with the walkable version of the screen look, then the temperature and shoe rules.An Office-Romance Look You Can Walk Seoul In Going back, seeing differentlyStart with the five details a second visit is for, then the evening reorder.Five Details to Recheck in Seongsu

Recommended reading order

  1. A Day on Foot from Seongsu Station to Seoul Forest01Seongsu, first coffee to blue hourA roughly nine-hour day from Seongsu Station Exit 2 to blue hour on the Seoul Forest footbridge.ROUTE · 13 min read
  2. An Office-Romance Look You Can Walk Seoul In02The Office-Romance Look, Translated for TravelBring the muted colours and neat lines of an office romance to a day in Seoul.SCENE · 12 min read
  3. When a Seoul Café Feels Cooler Than the Street03Why Seoul cafés feel colderYou can feel comfortable outside and chilly once you sit down in a café.CULTURE · 11 min read
  4. A K-Drama Café Scene in a Real Travel Plan04A K-Drama Café Scene in a Real Travel PlanWhat would it take to enjoy the atmosphere of a drama café scene on your own trip?SCENE · 10 min read
  5. Shoes and Bags for a Full Day in Seongsu05Four Moments a Seongsu Day ChangesUncomfortable shoes, extra shopping bags or a long queue can change your day.AFTER CUT · 10 min read
  6. Five Things to Check Before Your First Seongsu Visit06Saved Seongsu vs. Walked SeongsuYour first walk through Seongsu may feel different from the photos you saved.FIRST-TIMER · 10 min read
  7. Planning a 4.3 km Walk Through Seongsu07It Looked Close on the MapAll seven saved places are in Seongsu, but walking between them adds up to about 4.3 km.FIRST-TIMER · 11 min read
  8. When Street Signs Get Confusing in Seongsu08When Street Signs Get Confusing in SeongsuWhat do you do when a sign points one way and people walk another?SCENE · 11 min read
  9. Why Clothes Look Different Out of the Suitcase09The Look Out of Your SuitcaseAn outfit you love at home can arrive creased or take up more space than expected.FIRST-TIMER · 11 min read
  10. Choosing One Jacket for a Seoul Autumn Day10Choosing One Jacket for a Seoul Autumn DayWhat to wear in Seoul in autumn can start with one jacket and layers you can adjust.LOOK · 11 min read
  11. Autumn Clothes for a Long Walk in Seoul11Autumn Clothes for a Long Walk in SeoulWhat to wear in Seoul in autumn can begin with a drama-inspired look and still be planned around a long day on foot.LOOK · 12 min read
  12. Five Details to Recheck in Seongsu12Second Seongsu: five details to recheckOn a return visit to Seongsu, choose one familiar place and take your time around it.SECOND VISIT · 11 min read
  13. What to Leave Out of Your Suitcase on a Return Trip13The repeat visitor’s suitcase: four removalsPacking for a return visit starts with what you did not use last time.SECOND VISIT · 12 min read
  14. A Seongsu Evening Starts with Closing Time and Sunset14Seongsu after daylightSeongsu feels different when you return in the evening.SECOND VISIT · 10 min read

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More to explore around here

Shops, food spots, cafés and other places in this neighbourhood from Explore Seoul. Choose a place for official info and directions.

K-Beauty

Café & Dessert

K-pop & K-drama

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