Have you seen the Korean drama “Start-up”? It’s a 2020 Kdrama series starring Bae Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho and Kang Han-na that has captured the hearts of its viewers. This drama centers on the lives of the lead characters and how they strive to succeed in the world of start-up business. And of course, this series has some twists that add colors to it.
If you planning a trip to Seoul, here is a list of Start-up filming locations that you can easily visit:
Arc N Book
First on this list is the Arc N Book which appeared on the episode 4 of Start-up. Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) comes here to pick up a ‘Joining Sandbox Q&A’ book. Arc N Book is a unique cultural space by a bookstore and a lifestyle shop in Seoul. This curated bookstore is seperated into 4 themed sections: Daily, Weekend, Style, and Inspiration. It aims to create a space where people can communicate and connect together through their love of books. Know more about it here.
Location: B1F, Buyong Eulji Building, 29 Eulji-ro, Eulji-ro 1(il)ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 중구 을지로 29 B1F)
Kodachaya (Hongdae Branch)
Another filming location on this list is the Kodachaya restaurant in Hongdae. In the episode 10, Seo Dal-mi comes there to get a drink. Specifically, this scene is a special one because of the cameo role of Lee Bo-young who shares tables with Dal-mi.
Location: 48 Wausan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 마포구 와우산로 48)
Nodeulseom
Nodeulseom or Nodeul Island was featured in the episode 1 of the series as the start-up hub called “Sandbox”. It is located under the the Hangangdaegyo Bridge connecting Yongsan and Noryangjin. Nodeul Island is a cultural space which with a great focus on nature, books, and music. It features a variety of facilities such as Live House, Nodeul Book Store, Plant Island, and more. Learn moe about it here.
Location: 445 Yangnyeong-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Oil Tank Culture Park
Aside from Nodeulseom, the artificial “Sandbox” was also filmed at Oil Tank Culture Park in the episode 1 of Start-up. It is a park and cultural complex which was originally an oil depot. The Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to transform the park into a public space to preserve this historically significant site while raising awareness of sustainability and urban regeneration. Read more about it here.
Location: 87 Jeungsan-ro, Seongsan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 마포구 증산로 87)
Parnas Tower
In addition, the series was also filmed at Parnas Tower. The building appeared as the Morning Group headquarters in the episode 7. Parnas Tower is located near the Starfield COEX Mall in Gangnam.
Location: 521 Teheran-ro, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 521)
Urban Hive
Moreover, Start-up also filmed a scene from its final episode at Urban Hive. The exterior structure of Urban Hive looks like a honeycomb so you can easily identify this building. Due to this unique construction, the Urban Hive is able to have a unique exterior motif and bigger spaces inside of the building than other buildings built in Korea.
Location: 476 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 강남구 강남대로 476)
Yeouido Park Floating Stage
And lastly, Grandma’s Corn Dog Truck that Ji-pyeong regularly visits was actually filmed at the floating stage in Yeouido Park.
Location: 330, Yeouidong-ro Yeongdungpo-gu Seoul
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:
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