Exploring Seoul – Daehak-ro, Naksan Park and Toy Street

20 November 2025

The Seoul fortress wall had been featured in many k-dramas and the scenes were so attractive. The original Seoul Fortress walls were built upon the 4 surrounding mountains:

• Bugaksan Mountain: Located north of the city center.
• Inwangsan Mountain: Known for its rocky ridges and picturesque views of the city, often paired with a visit to historic sites.
• Namsan Mountain: Located in the center of the city, home to N Seoul Tower.
• Naksan Mountain: A smaller, gentle mountain famous for its wall hiking trails.

We decided to see Naksan Park since there is a walking trail along the Seoul Seonggwak (fortress wall) stretching about 2 km from Hyehwamun to Heunginjimun, the East Gate of Seoul.

Seoul Fortress Wall at Naksan Park.

Getting to Naksan Park

Naksan Park is located in the Jongno-gu district of Seoul. The most popular ways to get there are through the Hyehwa Station (Line 4) area, which involves walking through the Ihwa Mural Village, or from Dongdaemun Station.

We chose to go via Hyehwa Station and then take the trail to Dongdaemun area. Instead of taking the subway fro Myeongdong, we took a bus instead.

Exploring Daehak-ro

We alighted along Daehak-ro, which is next to the Hyehwa Station and Marronnier Park. “Daehak-ro” means “University Road” in Korean and this road used to be the major road in the middle of Seoul National University's campus before the university is relocated. Now the area had transformed into a major arts and culture street. There is a distinctively youthful and laid back vibe, with shops and F&B places catering mainly to University students and young adults in this area.

For those who like cafe and K-drama, there is a cafe called Hakrim Dabang (학림다방) that is one of the oldest in the city. This cafe is popular with fans since it was used as a filming location for K-dramas like My Love From The Star and The Heirs. Since we came too early in the morning (before opening time), we had to give this cafe a miss.

Instead, we took our time to explore Marronnier Park. There are often performances and events taking place here but it was quiet in the morning. There were some students from the nearby university playing in the park.

Gingko tree with beautiful yellow leaves in autumn.

This red-brick building in Marronnier Park is a theatre.

We saw a couple of road sweepers who took pride in their work and even created an artistic piece using the yellow leaves from the gingko trees.  

4 leaf clover design using fallen gingko leaves. Nice artistic work by the road-sweepers.

Besides the theatres and Art Center, this place is also the site of the 8th US Military HQ during the time of the Korean War.

Walking up to Naksan Park

Walking to Naksan Park from Marronnier Park involves a steady uphill climb through a quiet residential area. We took Dongsung-gil and then Naksan-gil. This relatively quick route took about 15 minutes and there are interesting things to see along the way.

Outside an Italian Restaurant (Di Matteo Daehakro) on our way to Naksan Park.

Instead of taking the stairs up to Naksan Park, we followed Naksan-gil Road till we saw a sculpture of the man with a dog walking to the sky.

Interesting sculpture at the edge of the mural village.

From there, we turned left and walked up a sloping path through Naksan Park towards the summit.

Tree bared of leaves but laden with many birds’ nests.

Autumn foliage could be seen on some trees.

The road up to the summit offered some nice views of the mountains surrounding Seoul.  There are even exercise machines for the local residents (and some crazy tourists) to work out.

View of Seoul city and the mountains surrounding it.

Naksan Park

The first thing that we saw when we arrived at summit of Naksan Park is the Seoul City Wall with views of downtown Seoul. There are a couple of observation platforms and pavilions along the wall.

View of the Seoul City Wall with views of downtown Seoul. Unfortunately, there are many unsightly cranes all over the city.

Sign indicating this part of the Seoul City Wall was featured in the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Walking along the trail next to the fortress wall.   

This view would be even better at night, with the twinkling city lights.

Autumn colours could be seen from Naksan Park.

A selfie photo with help of a mirror.

We took our time to walk along the trail next to the wall. The views of the city with the old fortress walls were quite nice. 

N Seoul Tower on Namsan Mountain as viewed from Naksan Park.

Ihwa Mural Village

Walking down towards Dongdaemun, we entered into Ihwa Mural Village again. This village is a residential area with various murals hidden in its alleys. There are signs informing visitors to keep quiet and respect the privacy of the residents. Apparently some residents were fed up with the constant stream of noisy visitors in the past and had actually destroyed or painted over some of the murals.

One of the murals we saw.

Mural of white angel wings that is half destroyed.

Exploring Naksan Park and the mural village can be tiring and thirsty. There are many cafes in the area for tired legs, hungry tummy and those needing a caffeine shot.

We stopped by Cafe Gaebbul. This cafe only sells hot drinks so we were told to go to the bakery next door to buy pastries.

Baeogae Bakery next to Cafe Gaebbul.

After getting our drinks and snack, we made our way to the upper floor of the cafe. This place is quite popular. We managed to get a couple of seats on the roof terrace with nice views.

Coffee break with a view.

Seoul city and the iconic N Seoul Tower on Namsan.

The street in Ihwa Mural Village where the cafes were located.

I think this is another cafe. Cat-themed cafe.

This street leads down to Daehak-ro. We did not take this street all the way down.

After a brief exploration of the small mural village, we took the road down towards Dongdaemun and walked alongside the Seoul fortress wall towards Heunginjimun, the East Gate of Seoul.

Cafes also lined this road towards Dongdaemun.

 

This stretch of fortress wall towards Dongdaemun is quite nice.

View of Heunginjimun, the East Gate of Seoul.

A stunning autumn landscape in Seoul with the swaying silver grass, historical fortress wall and gate.

There are quite a lot of things to do at Dongdaemum. This includes shopping at Doota Mall, exploring the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), and walking along the Cheonggyecheon Stream. We skipped all that since we had been here and done that. Instead we went to a place where most visitors to Seoul would not go.

Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street

We really wanted to buy some toys for our grandchildren back home and it has not been easy to find appropriate toys in Seoul. Then we found “Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street” from Google Map. This is a vibrant alleyway (21-1, Jong-ro 52-gil, Jongno-gu) in Seoul, home to nearly 120 shops selling toys, stationery, and party goods.

This is the perfect place to buy stationery as gifts and/or souvenirs and all sorts of toys, especially those originating from Korea like Pororo or Tayo the Little Bus. Some of the shops are wholesalers, so we could even get them at lower than retail prices.

Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Street.

Checking out the Remote Controlled, 4WD Monster Trucks for my grandson.

A bit of nostalgia sets in after seeing the figurine of Astroboy in one of the shops. This is a character from a cartoon TV series I watched as a kid.

Seungjin Toy store - One of the most famous and largest, most comprehensive shops in the area with the giant gorilla figure and bear on the storefront.

Outside Seungjin Toy Store. Posing next to Pororo, with bags of toys that we bought!

Mission accomplished at Toy Street, we took a short bus ride to Ikseon-dong Hanok Village.

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Autumn morning at Seoul Forest and afternoon at Seongsu-dong and COEX Mall

19 November 2025

Seoul Forest Park is known for cherry blossoms in spring, lush greenery in summer, and ginkgo trees in autumn. The park is located in the Seongdong-gu area, best known for the trendy Seongsu-dong area, often called the "Brooklyn of Seoul," which blends industrial, repurposed warehouses with chic cafes, pop-up stores, and street art. 

We plan to spend about 2 hours just walking about the park in the early morning before visiting Seongsu-dong when the shops and cafes open after 11 AM.

Seoul Forest was originally old royal hunting ground and then a water treatment facility before it was transformed into a city park in 2005. It is quite massive at about 500,000 square-meters and is divided into five areas, including a Culture and Arts Park, Ecological Forest (with deer), Wetland Ecological Garden and Hangang River Park. We planned to see only a few key highlights.          

As the cafes around Seoul Forest Park do not open before 10 AM, we had a light breakfast of coffee and toast at Ediya Coffee near our hotel in Myeongdong.

From Myeongdong, we took the subway to the Seoul Forest Station. One of the largest K-Pop companies SM Entertainment’s main headquarters is located near Seoul Forest Station, Exit 5. Those interested in buying K-pop souvenirs like albums, light-sticks, and various artist-themed goods can buy them at the popular SMTOWN &STORE (formerly KWANGYA). The store opens at 10.30 AM so we gave it a miss.

Seoul Forest was right across from the subway station. The first area we went to was the Cultural and Arts Park. This is the main area of the Seoul forest located at the main entrance of the park. We saw a group of locals on a company outing next to an impressive sculpture representing horse racing. We could not go beyond that since there was some maintenance work going on and the area around the famed mirror pond with the Metasequoia Forest was not accessible.

I wanted to see the deer at the Ecological Forest so we headed in that general direction. There were few people around on a weekday morning. The temperature on this day is lower than usual but the morning walk was comfortable and pleasant since there was no wind under the clear autumn sky.

There are some red maple trees but after our visit to the fantastic Naejangsan National Park earlier, the views of red maple trees had lost the wow factor. Nevertheless, they are still a pretty sight.

Trees with red and yellow autumn foliage in Seoul Forest.

We had to walk under a vehicular bridge to get to the deer corral at the Ecological Park which is located at the far corner of Seoul Forest Park.

Two species of deer were kept here. Both are local to Korea. Their ancestors were hunted by the royals in the long ago era at this area but these deer in the corral enjoy a peaceful life.

The deer corral has many deer. The deer enjoy a pretty big enclosure and they are well maintained. There is practically no smell of animal dung.

A sign indicated that there are two species of deer kept here. Both are local to Korea.

One of the highlights of Seoul Forest.

Many deer relaxing in the corral.

We could see them up close. 

We could walk on a bridge to see the deer from above. The bridge also took us through a habitat designed for wild animals and plants.

An overhead footbridge took us over the deer enclosure for even better views without the fences.

The pedestrian bridge also leads to a park next to Hangang River. We saw some wetlands below the bridge. We saw a lady photographer trying to photograph some birds above the wetlands so we went past her quietly.

On the way to the Hangang Riverside Park. 

The pedestrian bridge to Hangang Riverside Park offers beautiful views of the Hangang River and Seoul City skyline.

Views of the highway next to Hangang River and fancy apartments. We could see Lotte World Tower in the opposite direction.

Preview of Hangang Riverside Park from the bridge.

Hangang River and one of the many bridges spanning across it.

It is nice to sit under the warm autumn sun and watch the locals enjoying a ride or walk by the river.

The last “attraction” we visited in Seoul Forest Park is the gingko forest which is best experienced in autumn.

We came at a time that is slightly past the peak so most of the yellow gingko leaves were on the forest floor. The forest floor carpeted with yellow gingko leaves was still a slight to behold.

It was about 11.30 AM when we left Seoul Forest. We made a stop at Lowide Coffee Bakery, located near Seoul Forest. This popular local bakery and cafe offers a selection of finely crafted bakery items along with a quality cup of coffee.

Signature items include the salt bread and a variety of croissant, tarts, scones, brownies, and cookies.

Egg Salt Bread Sandwich and croissant with a cup of coffee to share.

After the coffee break, we were ready to continue our exploration of Seongsu-dong.

We tried the pies at Ho Gwa Dang Tiger Pie House. Their taco pies are made from premium French butter and came with a savoury filling made using Korean pork, fresh tomatoes, potato, rich cheese and crispy nachos.

The freshly baked pie had a flaky French-style crust and very hot fillings. Despite the friendly warning from the owner of the pie shop, I burned my lips at the first bite.

Our takeaway taco pie from Ho Gwa Dang. The store with the Chinese Characters 虎 菓 堂 is in the background.

A peek inside the hot, yummy pie.

After finishing our pie, we went to check out the local branded handbags in the Samo Ondoh Flagship store, just a few metres down the same street.

We then took a stroll to Yeonmujang-gil. This area used to be an industrial area with factories and warehouses. The old shoe factories and warehouses had been repurposed into hip cafes, fashion pop-ups, and galleries. The vibrant, trendy street hosts many flagship stores from brands like Adidas, Dior and also pop-up stores like the K-pop Demon Hunter pop-up store.

For lunch, I had shortlisted a few restaurants which included Damsot Seongsu, Solsot and Somunnan Seongsu Gamjatang.

We saw long queues outside Somunnan Seongsu Gamjatang so we went to search for Damsot Seongsu, a cosy eatery renowned for its comforting Korean rice bowls. A sign indicated that the store had shifted to a nearby location and we could not find the new store. It is probably still under renovation. Went to the Solsot, another place offering similar rice bowls. There was a long queue and seems like reservations have to be made using a local booking app that requires a local phone number. Hm… a good way to turn away foreign customers.

We went back to Somunnan Seongsu Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup) and sat on a bench to wait for our table. The queue moved fast and we waited only about 15 minutes before a staff came out and brought us, plus some others, to a nearby shop which is an extension of the main store.

This place serves only gamjatang, a Korean pork and potato stew that comes with a mildly spicy kick. The staff will bring out the amount of food accordingly to the number of people in our group. We were served a large bowl of gamjatang meant for two persons to share. The serving of pork bones was generous. The stew included chunks of potatoes. Those who needed more carbohydrates can order rice, hand-torn dough flakes or ramyeon to add to the stew.

There were also side dishes that included large chunks of radish kimchi, pickled onions, ssamjang, sliced cucumbers and green chilli peppers that were super long.

The gamjatang for 2 persons. The pork backbones are stacked to the brim of the bowl.

Look at the length of the green chilli pepper.

The meaty pork bone was well cooked, tender and falls off the bone easily. Best was the flavorful and tasty soup in the stew. It was particularly good on a cold day. Although the food was good, the restaurant was not a place where we could linger after our meal. 

Seongsu-dong has many cafes where we could laze over a cup of hot drink. I had ear-marked Daelim Changgo as our next stop.

On the way to Daelim Changgo, we made a brief stop to buy and try the famous salt-bread from Jayeondo Sogeumppang Salt Bread. There is always a queue at this shop but the ordering process was fast and efficient. We placed our orders and pay via a machine, then get a receipt and collect the food almost immediately from the staff at the counter.

We bought 4 pieces of the salt bread in a pack for 12 KRW.

Sogeumppang Salt Bread

The buttery bread was soft with a nice crust. We ate 2 on the spot and saved 2 for later, which was a mistake. Once cold, the bread became chewier and not as good.

After trying the salt bread, we went to our coffee place. Daelim Changgo resides in a gigantic warehouse with a faded red brick façade.

The interior is spacious, as is expected from a warehouse. Even then, most of the tables were occupied but we managed to get seats in the far corner of the cafe.

The interior is quite rustic with open beams, unfinished walls and cement floor.

Part of the interior has a translucent ceiling to let in natural light.

There is a display case in the middle with an array of pasta, pizza, and baked goods.  Although there are many tempting pastries on displayed, we were too full to eat anymore.

There is a display case in the middle with an array of pasta, pizza, and baked goods.

This is one of their specialties. Thinly sliced bread On hindsight, we should have tried some.

Taking a selfie via a mirror. 

Some hot tea, instead of coffee, for a change.

After recharging ourselves at the cafe, we walked to another interesting place to see in Seongsu-dong.

Haus Nowhere is a relatively new store that opened in September 2025. Haus Nowhere features global fashion brands such as Gentle Monster (eyewear), Tamburins (fragrances), and specialty brands like Atiissu (headwear like caps, beanie) and Nuflaat (tableware). There is also Nudake Teahouse offering artistic desserts worthy of Masterchef.

Upon entry, we were wowed by a gigantic animatronics dog. The sleeping dog was so realistic, complete with gentle breathing, muscle twitches that reminded me of my own dog sleeping at home.

In addition to the dog, there are other impressive displays of robots.

Gentle Monster eyewear on the second floor.

 

We took our time to browse the items on sale and see some of the art on display. The service staffs were attentive but I noticed not many customers buying. 

Nuflaat on the third floor has some interesting tableware. I particularly like the utensils with red talons nails cemented on them.

From Haus Nowhere, we took a short bus ride to COEX Mall just to visit the famous Starfield Library. Located within the mall, the library has become a tourist magnet and no wonder. It is extremely beautiful and photo-worthy.

It is a working library housing about 50,000 books. We saw more tourists snapping photos than locals reading the books. Actually, there were not many places to sit and the selves were too tall for most of the books to be accessible,

Starfield Library, located in Seoul’s COEX Mall, is a stunning library known for its modern architecture and open space.

It has 13-meter-high bookshelves, housing about 50,000 books. 

Since we visited in November, there are impressive Christmas lightings within the library, which attracted even more people.

Christmas decorations inside the Starfield Library.

We came to COEX Mall just to see the Starfield Library.

Is the library worth visiting? Yes, if you like to see something unusual. It is quite photogenic too.

Would I come again? No.

The shops within COEX mall were not that impressive. We were looking for toys stores but found none. The food options were also limited.

We ended the day back in Myeongdong where we had our dinner. We had already tried the lamb BBQ Skewers and Pork Barbeque. This time, we had craving for beef barbeque.

We chose to go to Wangbijib Korean BBQ Restaurant, Myeongdong branch to satisfy our craving.

The restaurant uses a charcoal grill and has a smoke extraction device above the grill.

The quality of the beef is good and the staff was helpful to assist in grilling the meat and taking our photo.

Tofu stew to complement the grilled meat.

Side dishes that came with the meal.

It was a good choice as we had a delicious meal in a pleasant restaurant. Overall, a satisfying beef BBQ dinner in Seoul.

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