Kondae (Konkuk University Area)

Kondae (Konkuk University), is a crowded nightlife area packed with college students, street food, restaurants, and an almost endless amount of bars. The best time to visit is at night when the place is lit up, loud, and packed with lots of hungry people looking for to party and for cheap food and drinks.

The majority of people who visit this area are college students from adjacent Konkuk University. You will also see businessmen looking for cheap food and drinks after a hard day at work. Either way, this area is packed any night of the week.

Not many tourists know of this area as they tend to stick to the more well known and more tourist friendly areas such as Myeongdong, Hongdae (Hongik University Area), and Itaewon.

There are endless choices of restaurants and street food vendors to try here, with new ones popping up all the time. Everyone seems to have their favorite hidden gem. As in all of Seoul, you can find your choice of BBQ restaurants and chicken and hof.

There are also a large variety of seafood and grilled shellfish restaurants. As you walk through the streets, you will easily notice the seafood restaurants as they display their fresh and swimming seafood proudly in tanks by their front door.

You can also find a large number of authentic Chinese restaurants. One of the most popular is Maehwa Banjeom, which serves up cheap dishes such as lamb skewers, sweet and sour pork, and stir fried pork. If you are looking for Indian food, try Rodeo Street.

Many of the restaurants here are not as tourist oriented as in other neighborhoods in Seoul. English on menus and on signs is few and far between. If you do not know Korean, expect ordering food to be a little more difficult. Either bring a friend who knows Korean or try finding restaurants with photos on their windows or in the menu where you can pick a dish by pointing at it.

Your best bet is to just roam the streets and see what looks good and what looks busy. If it is busy, odds are it is popular and has great food.

Your other choice is street food. A line of street vendors can be found lining the sidewalk just across the street from exits 3 and 4 of Konkuk University Station. These street food vendors sell delicious items including from dakkocchi (skewers of chicken), waffles, churros, twigim (deep fried goodies), tokkebi hot dogs, croquettes (fried hot dogs), odeng (fish cakes), tteokbokki, hotteok, sundae. You can also find a few Japanese treats such as udon and takoyaki. The smells are amazing and hard to resist.

Nearby Sights

Techno Mart

Techno Mart is an eight floor shopping mall and marketplace with over 2,000 electronic stores selling every type of electronics, appliances, and gadgets. If you are in Seoul and you need electronics at reasonable prices, then this in your place.

Gwangjin Forest Naru Park

Gwangjin Forest Naru Park is a neighborhood park located in Gwangjin-gu, between Guui-dong and Gwangjang-dong, close to the Hangang River. The park has two sections on both sides of Cheonho-daero at the northern end of the Cheonho-daero Tunnel.

Seoul Forest

Seoul Forest is a large park and nature area with walking paths and unique artwork that is located on the banks of the Han River on Ttukseom (Ttuk Island). In the past, this area has been used for many purposes from a royal hunting ground to more recently as a water treatment facility. The park also features a golf course and racetrack.

Junggok Jeil Market

Traditional market selling vegetables, fish, and spices

Apgujeong Rodeo Street

Apgujeong Rodeo Street is a popular high-end fashion and shopping street located in the upscale district of Gangnam. This is one of the wealthier areas in Seoul. It is here where you will find the latest fashion shopping trends and styles popular in Seoul. And, it is here where you will find stylish shops, cafes, and high-end restaurants. The street, a centerpiece of Apgujeong-dong, begins at Apgujeong-ro 50-gil, not far from Apgujeong Rodeo Station.

Bongeunsa Temple

Bongeunsa Temple is a Buddhist temple that dates back to 794 located south of the Han River and just north of the COEX Mall in Gangnam-gu. It was originally known as Gyeonseongsa when first built. This was during the rule of King Wonseong of Silla. Its location was 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) southwest of its current location.

Last Updated on Feb 5, 2025