Geoan (거안) - Area information - Korea travel information

Geoan (거안)

Geoan (거안)

9.3Km    2025-10-23

44 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Geoan, a store in Insa-dong, specializes in wooden furniture and accessories. Visitors can purchase products on display in the store or customize their pieces according to their preferences. In addition to furniture production, the shop also exhibits and sells various artworks such as celadon, lacquer mother-of-pearl, and sculptures by artists, making it a classy art space that harmonizes tradition and modernity.

Ssamzigil (쌈지길)

Ssamzigil (쌈지길)

9.3Km    2025-10-23

44 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Ssamzigil is an Insa-dong landmark and a shopping mall specializing in crafts. It is a place where the traditions of Korea come together with its present. Follow the paths that lead seamlessly from the lower floors to the upper floors and browse the small craft shops that inhabit the floors. You can find both works of traditional craft and contemporary craft here. Some craft shops also offer craft experiences, and one can also find restaurants and galleries within the complex.

Vegetarian Restaurant Osegyehyang (채식요리전문점 오세계향)

9.3Km    2024-03-18

14-5 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-7171

Osegyehyang is a vegetarian restaurant located in Insa-dong. It specializes in vegetarian cuisine, offering a variety of dishes including noodles, traditional Korean dishes, and specialty items. Some of its popular dishes include maesil tangsuchae (vegan deep-fried pork with sweet and sour sauce), pyogobeoseotmari (rolled shiitake mushrooms), vegan yangnyeom chicken (vegan seasoned fried chicken), tteokbokki, jjajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles), jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), vegan steak, and bulgui ttukbaegi (vegan bulgogi), all prepared without meat but still delicious.

Seosomun Historical Park (서소문역사공원)

Seosomun Historical Park (서소문역사공원)

9.3Km    2023-08-11

5, Chilpae-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

The Seosomun Gate area, which is located outside Seosomun Gate, was used as a persecution site in the 19th century before it turned into the local park of today. Many Catholics were suppressed and martyred here, making the area a holy site for Korean Catholics. Seosomun Gate was a gateway to Chilpae Market located near Namdaemun Gate. It was always busy with passerbys and the persecution site was established outside the gate to set an example of crime punishment to all the witnesses.

On May 15, 1999, a memorial tower was raised at the center of the park in honor of the martyrs. In 2013, Seoul's Jung-gu district also founded Seosumun Holy Shrine History Museum with a memorial exhibition hall in their honor.

Unhyeongung Royal Residence (서울 운현궁)

Unhyeongung Royal Residence (서울 운현궁)

9.3Km    2024-03-04

464, Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-766-9090

Located near the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Unhyeongung Palace was a residence of royalty in Joseon period. It was the place where Gojong (1582-1919, reign 1864-1907), king of Joseon (1392-1897) and emperor of the Korean Empire (1897-1910), was born in, as well as the place where Heungseon Daewongun (1821-1898), his father, had resided in. Buildings include Noandang Hall, Norakdang Hall, and Irodang Hall. The Royal Residence offers programs like traditional weddings and traditional culture experiences, while the exhibition hall showcases Joseon-era artifacts. 

Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone (종로 청계 관광특구)

Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone (종로 청계 관광특구)

9.3Km    2021-12-30

99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2148-1861

Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone stretches from Seorin-dong to Changsin-dong between Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jong-ro. It includes Youth Street, Gwangjang Market, Sewoon Electronics Department Store, lighting stores, pharmacy & medical device stores, badge stores, Stamp Street, Stationery · Toy Market, Aquarium Street, Shoes Market, and other markets totalling to approximately 14,000 shops. Nearby attractions include modern high-story buildings as well as Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Unhyeongung Palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, and Insa-dong, merging traditions, modernism, culture, and markets alike.

Thought to be at the heart of Seoul, Cheonggyecheon Stream is located in the dense cultural area of Seoul where various press networks, organizations, bookstores and other major corporations are situated. Walking along Cheonggyecheon Stream is a famous activity for tourists. Also, the area is the venue for the Seoul Lantern Festival every winter. Keeping its traditional scene including narrow alleys, old-fashioned hanok buildings and various stores still fully intact, the tourist zone has enough fun places for sightseeing as well as tasty restaurants in every corner for a more enjoyable visit.

Korea Samgyetang (고려삼계탕)

9.3Km    2024-06-19

1 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-752-9376

Located near City Hall Station, Korea Samgyetang specializes in samgyetang. Samgyetang is a traditional healthy dish made by simmering cleaned young chicken in a broth with ginseng, jujube, and glutinous rice. The light and tender texture of the stewed chicken and the ginseng-flavored glutinous rice porridge is excellent. Ogolgye tang (silkie chicken soup) and jeonbok samgye tang (abalone and ginseng chicken soup) are also favorites among patrons. This restaurant was selected for the Michelin Guide Seoul in 2023.

Hyangnamu Tree in Changdeokgung Palace (창덕궁 향나무)

Hyangnamu Tree in Changdeokgung Palace (창덕궁 향나무)

9.3Km    2025-01-13

99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3668-2300

Hyangnamu or 'Aromatic Tree' in Changdeokgung Palace is estimated to be about 700 years old, meaning it had likely been planted before the palace was built. It stands 12m in x_height, measures 5.9m in girth around the roots, and has branches spreading in all four directions. It is designated and protected as a National Natural Monument.

Imun Seolnongtang (이문설농탕)

9.3Km    2025-06-18

38-13 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-733-6526

Imun Seolnongtang has been serving its hearty seolleongtang for over a hundred years since it first opened in 1907. Even its name has a long history: the word imun comes from Imun-gol, the now-obsolete name of the restaurant’s location, and seolnongtang, an old variation of the word seolleongtang. During the Japanese colonial rule, the restaurant’s regular customers included Gijeong Son, the marathon gold-medalist at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The meal served at this restaurante is reputed to stay consistent from the Japanese colonial period. 

Neulmajung (늘마중)

Neulmajung (늘마중)

9.3Km    2024-01-12

11-5 Insadong 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Makgeolli is a traditional liquor made from rice or wheat as a main ingredient and with yeast and various other ingredients. Its uniqueness lies in the main ingredient or yeast used, thus a variety of makgeolli made with local specialties can be found throughout Korea. Neulmajung is a pub restaurant that serves 34 types of makgeolli from all over the country, as well as many foods that go well with them. In addition, its soft wooden interior creates a comfortable atmosphere. Its representative dish is haemul pajeon (seafood and green onion pancake), made with plenty of ingredients. They also serve crispy pan-fried gamja jeon (potato pancake)  and memil jeonbyeong (buckwheat crepe), rich in both flavor and taste as it is made with buckwheat from Bongpyeong, Gangwon-do, all of which are a perfect paring to makgeolli.