Seoul-Mates: K-drama, show filming sites in Korea continue to attract tourists

(Clockwise from top left) Kristel Fulgar, Garden of the Morning Calm, Cheonggu Building in Seoul, Denise Laurel and the Seoul-Mates with Prime Video yacht experience in Hangang River (Prime Video, Jonathan Hicap)

SEOUL - South Korea offers everything for tourists wanting to experience a slice of culture, entertainment, nature and food.

Many of these tourist sites have become popular through their links to celebrities or because they were used as filming sites for Korean dramas, movies and shows.

In a one-of-a-kind experience, Prime Video hosted the Seoul-Mates tour, showcasing various sites in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province featured in its shows.

The Seoul-Mates with Prime Video bus at Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul (Jonathan Hicap)

Big Hit Entertainment’s former main office in Gangnam

Grammy-nominated K-pop superstars BTS headline Prime Video’s “BTS: Yet To Come,” a “special cinematic cut, re-edited and remixed content” about the group’s “Yet To Come” concert in Busan, South Korea.

BTS debuted under Big Hit Entertainment in 2013. Big Hit Entertainment was a small agency that eventually became HYBE, now one of the top agencies in the K-pop industry.

Before Big Hit Entertainment became HYBE, it held offices in different areas. One of the most recognizable is the Cheonggu Building in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, Seoul near the Sinsa subway station.

Big Hit Entertainment was established in 2005 and in 2007, it moved to the Cheonggu Building. Its history is memorable as during the company’s stay at the building that BTS made their debut in 2013.

The company stayed at Cheonggu Building until 2017 before it moved to a new building as its staff size and operations increased.

Today, people, especially BTS ARMYs, still visit the Cheonggu Building. The writings on the building’s walls are a testament of the love and support of fans.

Naver Map

Cheonggu Building

10-31 Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

https://naver.me/5atHE6tc

"BTS: Yet To Come" (Prime Video)

The Cheonggu Building in Gangnam, Seoul which was the former main office of Big Hit Entertainment (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm

From Seoul, the Seoul-Mates with Prime Video tour team traveled more than an hour and about 65 km. to Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province for one of the most breathtaking tourist sites in Korea: the Garden of Morning Calm.

An arboretum, the Garden of Morning Calm is nestled in an expanse of land of about 330,000 sq. m. and has about 5,000 plant species. Visitors will get to see beautiful flowering plants, trees and exhibitions.

Depending on the season, tourists may see tulips, azaleas, witch hazel and chrysanthemums. Among the favorite attractions are the row of pink muhly grasses and the Millennium Juniper tree

Many Korean dramas, movies and shows have used the Garden of Morning Calm as a filming site.

One of them was Prime Video’s fantasy romance K-drama “Head over Heels” starring Cho Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo. Some scenes in the drama were filmed in the Garden of Morning Calm.

Other K-dramas that were filmed in the tourist site were “The Red Sleeve,” "Ruler: Master of The Mask," "The King in Love" and “Perfume."

A hearty lunch of sumptuous Korean dishes including galbi-jjim completed the visit to Gapyeong.

How to get to the Garden of Morning Calm, according to its official website:

By public transportation

How to Get to Cheongpyeong

Bus - Departing from bus terminals (Dongseoul etc.) or the Cheongryangri transfer center no. 1 and arriving at Cheongpyeong Terminal

Subway - Arriving at Cheongpyeong Station by Gyeongchun Line

ITX-Cheongchun - ITX-Cheongchun is Intercity-Train-Express-Cheongchun. Departing from Yongsan Station or Cheongryangri Station and arriving at Cheongpyeong Station.

How to Get to The Garden of Morning Calm from Cheongpyeong Station

Intra city bus - Take bus number 30-6 from Cheongpyeong Terminal or Cheongpyeong Station - Get off at The Garden of Morning Calm.

Naver Map

The Garden of Morning Calm

623-3 Haenghyeon-ri Sang-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

https://naver.me/FsKsgFbF

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

The pink muhly grasses in the Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Prime Video)

Garden of the Morning Calm in South Korea (Prime Video)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Lunch in Gapyeong, South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

The pink muhly grass in the Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Lunch in Gapyeong, South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

The Millennium Juniper tree in the Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Singer and host Denise Laurel in the Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Prime Video)

Lunch in Gapyeong, South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Lunch in Gapyeong, South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Prime Video)

Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

The pink muhly grass in the Garden of Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

K-drama “Head over Heels” stars Cho Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo in a scene filmed in the Garden of Morning Calm (tvN)

Garden of the Morning Calm in South Korea (Jonathan Hicap)

Namsangol Hanok Village

From Gapyeong, the team traveled back to Seoul and visited the Namsangol Hanok Village, located near the Chungmuro Station in Seoul.

The recent Prime Video series “Butterfly,” starring Daniel Dae Kim, Reina Hardesty, Louis Landau and Piper Perabo, was filmed at Namsangol Hanok Village.

Namsangol Hanok Village features five “hanok” buildings (traditional Korean houses) that were restored, a traditional garden and a pavilion.

When the team arrived at the Namsangol Hanok Village, there was an “I Love Korea Senior Model” event, featuring men and women wearing “hanbok” (traditional Korean dress).

When Seoul celebrated its 600th year as South Korea’s capital in 1994, items were buried in a time capsule, which will be opened on Nov. 29, 2394 for the city’s 1,000th year.

Naver Map

Namsangol Hanok Village

84-1 Pildong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

https://naver.me/FqHtlpvI