Are you looking for a place in Seoul where you can take a break from the hustle of the city and spend a relaxing time in an island? Lucky you! there is a beautiful island in the city. The island named Nodeul Island is an artificial island located in the middle of Han River in Seoul.
About Nodeulseom
Nodeulseom or Nodeul Island was actually used when King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty crossed the Han river on a bridge made of ships for a visit to Hyeonnyungwon Tomb in Hwaseong in 1796. During the Japanese colonial era, it used to be a white beach. Then it became a man-made island after the construction of Han River bridge and the Han River Comprehensive Development. The Seoul City government took steps to make the best use of Nodeul Island and to make it a space for citizens. The city even had discussions with citizens on the new use of the island through citizen-participatory programs. In 2019, they officially opened the new Nodeul Island with various facilities.
Available Facilities
Exhibition Halls, Studios and Offices
Nodeul Island has exhibition halls, studios and offices that businesses and individuals can rent for their needs. For example, Live House is a performance hall equipped with sound, lighting, and musical instrument facilities. This hall is specialized for the largest stage and popular music concerts accommodating 456 seats. In addition, thereโs also a Rehearsal Studio which is a space for acoustic rehearsals with equipment. This place looks similar to the concert halls. And the Music Lounge, an open daily music lounge, is also located on Nodeul Island.ย Sometimes it becomes an exhibition hall showing the stories of various musicians. They also have offices or work spaces where agencies, productions, and artists in the music and culture industry can collaborate.
Nodeul Book
Besides, book lovers can also spend a quality time at Nodeul Book. It is a โbook culture producerโs platformโ and a space for writing and reading quietly. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Plant Atelier
Furthermore, you will also enjoy this place if you like planterior. Nodeul Island has the planterior place named Plant Atelier, an experiential plant culture space created by green creators. This space also offers various workshops and plant exhibitions.
Seoul Gardening Club โGarden Expressโ
Aside from Plant Atelier, you can also find Seoul Gardening Club, which proposes a new urban culture based on plants and gardens. It provides the โGarden Expressโ service which is a gardening convenience store for a pleasant gardening life.
OUTDOOR-ING
Would you love to experience outdoor camping at Nodeul Island but do not have any equipment for it? You donโt have to worry about it. You can rent camping and picnic tools from OUTDOOR-ING. This rental shop is located on the first floor of the island. The rental fee is 30,000 Korean won for 4 hours. They are open from Wednesday to Friday 12:30 pm to 9:00 pm and from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on weekends.ย
Nodeul Yard
And of course, your relaxing day on this artificial island wouldnโt be complete without going to its yard and open area. There you can find a bleacher in case you want to take a seat. In the summer season, the weather can be very hot and you may be directly exposed to the sun as it has no coverings. So you better use sunscreen to protect your skin.
If you walk further, you will see plants, trees and flowers all over the island. You will also have a good sight of the Han River with Hangangdaegyo (Bridge).
Where to eat in Nodeul Island
There are some cafes and restaurants in Nodeul Island such as Witchโs Kimbap, &Table, Cafe Booc, The Pizza Sounds and Cafe VOI. You can also find the Emart 24 Convenience Store there. That convenience store is in partnership with BEAR.BETTER, a social enterprise in which more than 80% of its employees are people with developmental disabilities.ย
Kdramas Filmed in Nodeul Island
Nodeul Island was featured several times in a lot of Korean dramas. For example, in the Kdrama โStart-Upโ starring Bae Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk, this artificial island appeared as the start-up hub called Sandbox. And in the Kdrama โVincenzo,โ this is where Han Seung-hyuk (Jo Han-chul) meets with Jang Han-seo (Kwak Dong-yeon) in episode 13. This place is also where Jo Ji-ah (Chae Soo-bin) meets Kim Min-kyu (Yoo Seung-ho) for the first time in episode 1 ofย โIโm Not A Robotโ. Other Kdramas filmed in Nodeul Island are Sisyphus: The Myth, True Beauty, Bride of the Water God 2017, Strongest Deliveryman, Healer, Lovers in Paris, etc.
How to get there
Location: Nodeulseom, 445 Yangnyeong-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (์์ธํน๋ณ์ ์ฉ์ฐ๊ตฌ ์๋ ๋ก 445 ๋ ธ๋ค์ฌ)
Directions: Take Seoul Subway Line Line 1 and get off at Yongsan Station, Exit 1. From there, fo to Shinyongsan Station (03-004) and take a bus bound for Nodeulseom then get off at Nodeulseom Bus Stop (03-340). You can also take Seoul Subway Line 9 and get off at Exit 2 of Nodeul Station. Then walk for 600m in the direction of Hangangdaegyo Bridge.
If you find this article interesting and helpful, share it with your friends. For more Korea travel tips like this, subscribe to KoreabyMe and readย my other published articlesย on the site. You can follow me onย Instagramย too!
If you are looking for simple itineraries and guides to help you plan your Hallyu-themed trip to Korea, you may refer to the sample below:
