Seoul is a vibrant city full of amazing surprises. Even after calling this city home for over a decade, I still constantly find new and exciting spots to discover. This month, the district of Songpa teamed up with Global Seoul Mates to promote the area. So I set off to discover some of the best things to see, do, and of course EAT in Songpa, Seoul, South Korea.
Background
Seoul is comprised of 25 different districts called ‘gu’ (구). Gus vary in size and population, with the largest being ‘Songpa Gu‘ (송파구). Located in the SouthEast part of Seoul, Songpa is home to nearly 650,000 residents. It’s often refered to as being a part of the greater Gangnam area.
Songpa can easily be reached by bus, car, or by subway, with multiple subway lines passing through the area, including subway Line 2. The area is home to such places as Lotte Tower, Olympic Park, Seoulism Cafe, Everland, Seokcheon Lake, and much more.
Mission
I’m currently participating in a program called ‘Global Seoul Mates’. This program is an annual project run by the Seoul Tourism Organization. Each month, participants are given a monthly mission, and are asked to produce various content to help promote the city of Seoul.
For July 2020, we were tasked to help promote Songpa. As such, we were given a free ticket to an attraction (I chose the Lotte World Aquarium). However, other attractions in this blog post were paid for out of pocket.
Sonpga Tourist Information Center
The first place I needed to check out on my mission was the “Songpa Tourist Information Center.” Normally, I’m not a fan of these types of centers when traveling, and tend to skip them. However, I was pleasantly surprised while visiting this particular one.
The staff is made up of friendly volunteers who were eager to help provide information for the area. There are maps, brochures, and guides in multiple languages.
There is also a photo zone where you can take chroma key photos with various scenes and either email them to yourself (for free!) or print them out (1000 KRW). These make great souvenirs for your visit to the area! They even have hanbok (Korean traditional outfits) you can try on for free (do note that due to the COVID-19 situation, you’re unable to try on the hanbok at the time of writing.)
The even have cut outs of BTS you can pose with and take photos with. An experience any Army will not want to pass up!
Lotte World Aquarium
As a part of the mission, I was given two free tickets to the Lotte World Aquarium. I am a big fan of aquariums, and have enjoyed them since I was a small child. I am not always happy to see the condition of zoos in Korea, and am often left feeling sad for the animals that are held captive there. However, I was happily surprised to see that the 55,000 sea animals at this aquarium seemed to be thriving.
The highlight of the visit to the aquarium had to be a display called ‘The Ocean’. This tank is over 7 meters high, and hold 2200 tons of water! Various fish, sharks, and other marine life call this display home. I could spend all day sitting in front of the window and staring at this display.
I had a great time feeding some goldfish, as well! For 2000 KRW, visitors can purchase a baby bottle full of fish pellets. Simply bend down and the fish will come over and feed directly from your hand! This is a unique and fun experience for visitors of all ages!
Address: 300, Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea
Hours: Vary. Check website for more details
Prices: Adults 31000 KRW, Children 27000 KRW
Website: http://www.lotteworld.com/aquarium/en/index.asp
Olympic Park Stamp Tour
Next up, I headed to the Olympic Park. This park is the former home of the 1988 Summer Olympics. While this is a place I have visited countless times, it’s the first time I’ve ever participated in the stamp tour.
To start, I headed to the information center near the World Peace Gate and Eternal Flame. I picked up a map and a brochure that pointed out 9 unique spots in the park including lakes, gardens, and sculptures. My mission was to find all 9 places, and receive a stamp from a nearby box. After collecting all 9 stamps, I would then turn the brochure in for a small prize.
Overall, this was a fun, yet tiring, experience. On a hot summer day, you’ll definitely want to make sure to wear comfortable shoes, and bring a bottle of water. It took me a few hours to locate all the places and receive the stamps. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing (August 2020), this experience is temporarily closed for renovations. It is expected to start up again shortly though, so do research before setting out on this adventure.
Address: 424 Olympic-ro, Oryun-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul
More attractions
There are so many great things to do that you could spend a whole weekend in the area! Here are just a few more things to do!
- Visit Seoulism Cafe – this trendy cafe serves coffee during the day, and alcoholic beverages in the evening. It offers some great views of the area, and is one of the best places to catch the evening sunset!
- Try a Churrodog – what happens when a churro meets a hot dog? If you’re lucky enough, you might find out! Get more information here!
- Visit Seoul Sky– featuring the world’s highest glass floor observatory! This an experience you just can’t miss when visiting Seoul!
In Conclusion
While Seoul might have 25 unique districts, Songpa is definitely one of the most interesting! If you’re visiting Seoul and looking for great food, wonderful nightlife, or overall unique experiences, it’s a place you must check out!
#globalseoulmate #gsm2020 #visitseoul #songpa #songpa_official
#olympicparkseoul #seoulsky #lotteworldaquarium
Tastes Seoul Good 