Itaewon Special Tourist Zone (이태원 관광특구)

4.4Km 2024-11-27

196 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Itaewon was the first special tourist zone in Seoul, designated in 1997. It is a multicultural place where over 20,000 foreigners live and is widely recognized by international visitors.

The name Itaewon started to spread worldwide in the 1980s when Korea hosted the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, as well as many international conferences. Since then, Itaewon has become a popular travel destination. Clothes and accessories with unique designs, and leather products in particular are famous. This is a go-to place for both shopping and entertainment. The street is crowded with shops selling clothes and bags, as well as hotels, restaurants, entertainment facilities and travel agencies. With about 2,000 shops and stores lining every street, visitors can experience a multicultural atmosphere. Also famous in the district is Antique Furniture Street where more than 100 shops selling furniture and antiques stretch from Hamilton Hotel toward Bogwang-ro.

Travelers can taste authentic cuisine and experience culture from around the globe on World Food Street where there are 40 restaurants operated by foreigners. Since the late 1990s, an increase in the number of tourists from Southeast Asia and the Middle East has transformed the streets from being US Army-oriented into culturally diverse. Various performances and events are held in the area. In particular, Itaewon Global Village Festival, held every October, is a famous festival. Tourists can pay in US dollars, Japanese yen, or another currency freely. In addition, visitors can use various languages like English, Japanese, and Chinese with the sellers.

Itaewon Shopping Street (이태원 쇼핑거리)

4.4Km 2025-03-29

Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-2-797-7319

Itaewon Shopping Street is a 1.4-kilometer-long road located near Itaewon Station. There is an enormous variety of shops, entertainment venues, and restaurants lined along both sides of the street. As the neighborhood has a reputation as a mini melting pot in Seoul where languages other than Korean are widely spoken, it is one of the most visited places by international visitors. It has become a gateway for many international visitors to receive services and information on basic tourist needs such as accommodations, shopping, tourist attractions, and more.

The Hyoosik Nouvelle Seoul Itaewon (더휴식 누베르 서울 이태원점)

4.4Km 2025-04-08

11 Usadan-ro 14-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

The Hyoosik Nouvelle Seoul Itaewon aims to rediscover Seoul through creativity and inspiration. The overall design of the hotel is inspired by French avant-garde, using a variety of objects and props to create an artistic and stylish atmosphere. The hotel has Collection T room type, a twin bedroom; Collection D room type, a double bedroom; and Collection S room type, a single bedroom. On the first floor of the hotel is a guest lobby and a pasta restaurant. The hotel's parking lot is limited in space, and therefore guests are advised to use a nearby public parking lot.

Homilbat (호밀밭)

4.5Km 2021-03-30

43, Sinchonnyeok-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
+82-2-392-5345

You can enjoy Korea’s signature summer staple Patbingsu (shaved ice with sweet red beans). This cafe is located in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. The most famous menu is shaved ice with red bean topping.

Jonny Dumpling (쟈니덤플링)

4.5Km 2021-03-29

5, Bogwang-ro 59-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-2-790-8830

It is a restaurant famous for its half-moon-shaped grilled dumplings. The best menu at this restaurant is pan-fried dumpling. This Korean dishes restaurant is located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

BUA (부아)

4.5Km 2021-03-19

9, Bogwang-ro 59-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-2-792-3340

A restaurant frequently featured in programs on Korean delicious dishes. Bua, meaning a lotus in Thai, features authentic Thai cuisine. The best menu at this restaurant is som tam. This is a Asian restaurant located in Itaewon, Seoul.

Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market (서울 약령시장)

4.5Km 2021-06-09

10, Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
+82-2-969-4793

"Yangnyeongsi," which literally means medicine city district, refers to a central Oriental medicine district formed near major cities where medicinal herbs are collected and produced. Yangneongsi were first established by royal order during the Joseon dynasty for the purpose of effective production, distribution and management of medicinal products and herbs.

Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market history is relatively short, having formed naturally in the mid-1960s by medicinal herb merchants who gathered here seeking to sell their products with the city bus terminal and Cheongnyangni Station as their central base. Originally, these merchants came to Seoul through the old Seongdong Station and Chyeongnyangni Station after the Korean War, seeking to sell medicinal herbs and vegetation products that were cultivated and collected in the Gyeonggi-do and Gwangwon-do regions. This small market that was once open on an empty plot of land was later authorized as an official market establishment. Road and railroad developments between Gangwon-do and Seoul were followed and by the 1970s, the market grew into what is now seen today. The name Seoul Yangnyeongsi Market was given by the Seoul mayor in 1995.

Yuu (유우)

4.5Km 2019-10-02

23, Yeonhui-ro 26-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3144-2578

Yuu is a fusion dining restaurant that offers gonowada (salted sea cucumber innards), one the three major gourmet dishes. The restaurant offers a wide variety of a la carte items, and in partnership with Jo Seon-Ok culinary research center in Japan, strives to produce savory and top-notch meals for its customers.

Among the diverse gourmet menu the restaurant offers, the most popular dishes include tuna tataki & gonowada and santen sasimi (assorted sliced raw fish). Also prepared and offered are simple a la carte dishes including charcoal barbeque, grilled dishes on a sizzling iron plate, nabe, ponzu, a la carte, special delicacies. The restaurant is 231.4 ㎡ (70 pyeong) in floor size and has tatami rooms for the full enjoyment of savory liquor and gourmet meals. Yuu also has a large room for group meetings and business dinners.

Numbering Flagship Store - Hannam Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (넘버링플래그십스토어 한남점)

4.5Km 2024-06-27

11, Daesagwan-ro 5-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

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Numbering Flagship Store - Hannam Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (넘버링 플래그십스토어 한남점)

4.5Km 2024-06-27

11, Daesagwan-ro 5-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

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Itaewon Special Tourist Zone (이태원 관광특구) - Area information - Korea travel information