Visiting Korea: Day 8 at Yeouido & Gangnam

Yeouido and Hongdae area is separated by the Hangang (Han river). When we took the metro across the river to reach Dangsan station, we had the chance to enjoy a nice view of the river itself. From Dangsan, we then transferred to another line to reach the National Assembly station where we got off. From here, exit 4 is the closest to the KBS office. For fans of Korean dramas, KBS is not a foreign name as has produced multiple hit dramas over the years and is a major broadcasting channel in Korea.

To get to the KBS exhibition, KBS On, we had to walk pass the main building and a parking lot. Once there, you will see the familiar steps which appear on variety show,1 Night & 2 Days (1N2D). Head towards the left entrance. Admission is free and you can make your way slowly up towards the fourth and fifth floors to see placards of your favourite stars like Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo of Winter Sonata fame, and the hosts of 1N2D like Lee Seung Gi. You can also try out cartoon dubbing and pretend to be a news presenter. All in all, we spent about 45 minutes exploring this exhibition hall.

From KBS, we walked back towards the subway and took exit 1 this time towards Yoido Full Gospel Church. It is the world's largest church and every Sunday there are 7 services. We attended the 11am service presided by Reverend Younghoon Lee. The service lasted about 1.5 hours and worship is continually used throughout the sermon. After the service, we had a quick lunch nearby before heading towards the Gangnam area. Just a tip, to get to the church easily, look for Hotel Lexington. Then, walk through the lobby. When you exit on the other side, you will spot the church! Another tip, before entering the subway station, look out for the National Assembly building as it makes for a great background for a photo stop.

From the National Assembly station, we took the metro all the way to Apgujeong station. Just a short walk from the station, you will find the Gangnam Tourist Information Centre. During our visit, FT Island was the focus of its hallyu corner on the second floor. You can also try on pop star outfits and pose at the various music video sets located here. Accessories and makeup is available for your use!

From Apgujeong, we walked about 20 minutes towards The Galleria shopping mall to search for S.M. Entertainment's (SME) office. Based on the information provided by the tourist information centre, it seems that SME now has two offices. The old one is currently being renovated but you can still stop here for a photo stop with huge posters of their label's stars like SHINee and EXO.

From Apgujeong-Rodeo station, we then headed towards Samseong station where Coex Mall is located. Unfortunately, when we got there we realised that the area was mostly closed due to renovation. Only MEGAbox (cinema) and the Aquarium was still fully open. From the mall, we then walked over to the Lotte Duty Free Store. Here you can do your cosmetics/skincare/fashion shopping while accompanied by Lotte's band of Hallyu stars like Choi Ji Woo, Song Seung Hoon, Kim Hyun Joong etc. (er...I meant their placards, not the actual stars ....)

As there was a limited selection of restaurants in Coex, we headed back to Hongdae for a delicious dinner of steamed pork bone with soy sauce. Yummy!