Travel Bucket List: Korean drama edition

Welcome back to my blog where I write about any topic related to South Korea. Today, we are exploring the world of Korean dramas (“K-drama”). More specifically, I present to you my bucket list of places to visit in South Korea, inspired by K-drama filming spots.

N Seoul Tower, also known as Namsan Tower

Namsan Tower, an iconic Seoul landmark, was featured in many Korean dramas, but I particularly remember seeing it in True Beauty (2020-21), as well as The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016).This former broadcast tower sits on Namsan Mountain, in the center of Seoul, and has become one of the most famous tourist attractions in South Korea. You can hop on the Namsan cable car, go by shuttle/tour bus or hike up the mountain to visit this iconic location. The N Seoul Tower is most famous for its observatory, which is one of the highest points in the city and provides a full 360-degree view of Seoul. Make sure to also check out the love padlocks on the fence around the tower. If you happen to visit with a significant other, you could even attach your own padlock!

Photo Credits: The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

BBQ Olive Chicken

BBQ Chicken is a restaurant franchise that gained in popularity after being featured in popular dramas like Goblin (2016-17), and Crash Landing on You (2019-20). This restaurant chain is well-known for chicken and beer (치맥) but their menu also features other dishes such as pasta, pizza, rice, salad, and mocktails. The best part is that this franchise has global stores all around the world, including Canada. If there is a branch in your city, make sure to check it out for authentic and delicious Korean fried chicken!

Photo Credits: Crash Landing on You (2019-20)

Jumunjin Beach Breakwater

Featured in: Goblin (2016-17)

Located in the northern-most part of Gangneung, Jumunjin Beach is a shallow beach with fine sand, dark colored rocks and stones, clear blue waters and a shallow bottom that make it easy to gather clams and fish at the nearby lake. There are multiple man-made breakwaters in the area, but the breakwater featured in Goblin should be in front of Haerang seafood restaurant (해랑횟집). This location has become famous, drawing crowds of visitors coming to recreate the scene from Goblin that was filmed there. To fully live out this K-drama moment, you can even loan the red scarf and buckwheat flowers that appear in the drama.

Photo Credits: Goblin (2016-17)

Besides recreating the famous scene from Goblin, you could also lounge on the beach and enjoy the gorgeous coastal scenery view. If you get hungry, you can head to nearby restaurants that serve affordable seafood catches of the day.

Han River

Han River is another landmark that you cannot miss if you are traveling to South Korea. Yeouido Hangang Park (한강 공원 여의도 지구) is the area that encompasses all the parks on Yeouido Island that border the Han River. This spot is popular among tourists and locals alike, especially for picnics during summer.

There are also many cruises offered on the Han River. For couples, you could check out the E-land Moonlight Music cruise that offers a romantic ride down the Han River at night, as featured in the K-drama What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018). This cruise offers live music performance and even features a firework display (subject to availability). Could you ask for a better way to impress your date?

Photo Credits: What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)

Hantangang Sky Bridge (한탄강하늘다리)

Featured in: Crash Landing on You (2019-20), What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)

Hantangang Sky Bridge in Pocheon is a 200-metre-long skywalk that is located 50 metres above the Hantangang River canyon. It offers undisrupted and gorgeous views of natural landscape with no nearby buildings in sight. The bridge’s structure is sturdy enough to hold up to 1,500 people at once, yet vibrates with each step. If you are not scared of heights, don't miss out on the bridge’s glass floor section.

Photo Credits: What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)

Bonus: This bridge is located near the beautiful Bidulginang Waterfalls (비둘기낭폭포), another popular filming spot featured in many dramas such as Kingdom (2019).

I hope you enjoyed my k-drama inspired bucket list of destinations to visit in South Korea. Fingers crossed for the coronavirus situation to subside so that we can all travel again. In the meantime, I hope you take care and stay safe!

Tash