13 Fun Kpop Things to Do in Seoul (from a fellow kpop stan)

1. Buy Kpop Merch in Seoul

First is kpop merch in Seoul. Make sure you leave room in your luggage, because everything is much cheaper in Korea!

Below are my top 3 favorite places to buy kpop merch in Seoul.

For a full list, read my kpop stores in Seoul post.

This is my top spot to buy kpop merch in Seoul.

There are about 3-4 shops that sell affordable kpop merch like albums, stickers, lomo pcs, keychains, and lightsticks.

It’s located at exit 6 of the Myeongdong subway station, which is a popular underground shopping center.

Music Korea is located in the same Myeongdong shopping street area. It’s on the 3rd floor of a Nature Republic store.

Albums here are a few dollars more. Everything here is official merch. You can also get kdrama dvds, and they usually give free posters.

KTown4U has two in-person stores in Seoul.

One is in the Annyeong Insadong Shopping Complex inside the Insadong Shopping Street. It’s also a cafe and they usually have popups. 

The second KTown4U store is located in the COEX Mall in Gangnam and is much larger.

One of the most popular kpop things to do in Seoul is to visit K-Star Road in Gangnam. 

You’ll see large dolls dedicated to different kpop groups, mostly 2nd and 3rd gen groups like 2pm, Shinee, BTS, Super Junior, Girls Generation, EXO, etc.

You can try visiting the agencies of your favorite groups like Starship, Hybe, SM, YG, or Fantagio. 

For visiting kpop agencies, tread lightly, just take a quick photo of the building — don’t lurk around waiting for idols to show up or try to enter the buildings. 

I don’t recommend that!

4. Visit Kpop Filming Sites

Next up is is group-specific, which is visiting sites related to your favorite kpop groups like interesting filming sites of music videos or iconic places where they shot variety shows.

For example, I looked up Monsta X-related ones by googling Monsta X filming sites.

You can also ask any moots that have visited Seoul for their spots.

These can be memorable kpop things to do in Seoul for your favorite group.

Another site for kpop fans in Seoul is HiKR Ground, a colorful hallyu and arts-themed exhibit with lots of photo-op opportunities.

It’s located right across the Cheonggyecheon stream too!

6. See the Iconic Gangnam Hands

You’ll find the iconic Gangnam hands at the COEX Mall on the outside patio.

It’s actually quite big in person. (While there, visit KTown4U kpop store.)

You’ll see ads sponsored by fans everywhere, especially inside the subway stations.

If you’re visiting Seoul during any birthdays or anniversaries for your favorite kpop groups, you’ll likely stumble upon some. 💜

For those that don’t know, kpop fans host what are called cupsleeves to celebrate birthdays and anniversary of idols. These are also common in the US. 

These are held in cafes and if you buy a drink or set, you get a cupsleeve and other freebies. 

Fans decorate the whole cafe. Some will do activities but usually it’s just a sit down and photo op sites. 

If you’re unsure on the cupsleeve benefits, ask. The staff are happy to help. 

I went during Monsta X’s 8th anniversary, and there were 20 within walking distance in Hongdae. 

You can find these on Twitter/X though the tweets are in Korean.

You can also go on dukplace.com/en and look up the idol or group, and a list of cupsleeves happening should show up!

It might take some effort, but cupsleeve-hopping in Seoul was a fun experience.

They go all out and it’s usually over 2-3 days. It’s one of my favorite kpop things to do in Seoul.

Some parks will have benches dedicated to their favorite kpop groups or members.

There’s a few benches dedicated to some of the BTS members in Seoul Forest, one of my favorite parks in Seoul.

Nearby is also SM Entertainment’s new building and KWANGYA, SM’s new flagship kpop concept store with kpop merch and digital displays.

At Han River you can also find Moonbin Forest, with benches in memory of him.

The Show is hosted by idols, and several kpop groups perform during the live program, and a winner is announced at the end. 

You can buy tickets on Trazy or KoreaTravelEasy. I went twice and it was one of my favorite kpop events in Seoul.

Read my full guide and tips on attending The Show.

⚠️ Tickets for The Show sell out fast. Reserve a spot before they’re gone

You can also try attending other music shows like KBS Music Bank, Show Champion, or Inkigayo, but you’ll need the official fanclub membership and apply online and get chosen. Best to get guidance from a local fan.

SBS Inkigayo & Seoul Tour Package

Ticket to SBS Inkigayo | Half-day tour | BOOK IT HERE

This is a new tour that includes a ticket to SBS Inkigayo music show with live performances by kpop groups.

This package also includes a half-day tour with transportation to popular sites in Seoul. Definitely seems worth it!

🎸 Check available dates for SBS Inkigayo Tour Package

Idol Radio is radio program hosted by idols and they bring on other idol guests. 

Currently it’s hosted by Sunwoo of The Boyz. I went when it was hosted by Hyungwon and Joohoney from Monsta X.

It’s located in Digital Media City where The Show is also located. I have a whole guide on how to attend Idol Radio in Seoul, my tips, and what to expect.

But basically you watch the program from outside. It’s completely free.

You would have to line up early to get a decent viewing spot. And of course, the program is in Korean.

Fans usually wait after to send off the idols. When in doubt, just follow the fans like I did.

One of the funnest kpop things to do in Seoul: attend kpop concerts in Seoul, plus music festivals & fanmeets in Korea. 

I’ve been to a few kpop events and kpop concerts in Seoul now. Here are some tips for visitors:

• Foreigners have separate websites to buy concert tickets. You won’t be able to buy on the regular ticketing sites unless you have local Korea banking cards.

• The 2 main sites to buy tickets for kpop concerts in Seoul and other cities are Melon Global and Interpark Global. Both are in English. You can go these websites and check out the calendar for upcoming events.

• They also sell tickets to musicals that kpop idols star in. I went to one where Wonho acted in. There’s no filming allowed and cheers are very polite. Fans also wait after the show.

• The only site I’ve had some problems buying tickets with is Melon because of their card verification system. It’s better to buy the ticket while you’re in your home country.

• If it’s a really popular group, tickets may sell out in the first 5-10 minutes. You can keep checking back to see if a seat popped up, but knetizens are really quick with buying tickets. 

• If you have a membership for that kpop group, you’ll get early access before general sales. Still, out of the 3 kpop concerts in Seoul that I tried buying tickets with membership, I was only able to buy one. Tickets can sell out really fast. Just try your best. You never know!

• If the concert is completely sold out, you can lurk the WTS (want to sell) tag on Twitter. Resales on Twitter are quite high and you have to be careful of scams. There are some Twitter folks that offer ticketing assistance to help you get a ticket, just make sure to check if they have legit reviews.

Sometimes there’s music festivals where a certain amount of tickets are allocated just for foreigners. 

In this case, they’re usually sold on websites like Trazy and Klook.com. 

The tour package usually provides transportation, and the prices are decent around $60. 

You go as a group together and have dedicated seats. 

A few of these events pop up annually. You just have to keep an eye out on socials.

Kpop Fanmeets in Seoul

While kpop concerts in Seoul already have a fanmeet aspect to them, there are events that are fansigns where you get to meet and talk to an idol or get something signed. 

Honestly, these are hard to get into. It’s not impossible, I’ve seen foreigners attend, but a lot of it is by raffle and luck, or if you bought a lot of their albums or hosted an album go. 

If you really want to go, I suggest getting guidance from a local fan.

Concert culture in Korea and a lot of Asian countries is pretty different than in US or Europe.

A lot of kpop concerts in Seoul are seated and fans are just more polite. There’s not a lot of standing up in your seats or dancing, or barking (IYKYK!)

Some kpop concerts may also not allow you to film on your phone. So if you’re used to wild club-like concerts, you might get disappointed. 

BUT fans in Korea have the best lightstick and fanchant game I’ve seen. Seeing all the lightsticks in sync and hearing all the fanchants is pretty awesome.

Before the concert, there’s usually photo op sites on the concert grounds that you can check out. 

If it’s a general standing area, people line up according to their ticket number, which depends on what time you bought the ticket, so it’s not first come-first serve.

You can make friends with any foreigner fans you come across at the concert, otherwise, there’s not much of a social aspect to the kpop concerts in Seoul if you’re a foreigner in my experience!

The benefits of joining kpop tours in Seoul is to save time with transportation, get insider insights from local guides, and bond with other kpop fans visiting Seoul.

Here are top tours, but you can check out my full list of kpop tours in Seoul.

1. Seoul Hallyu Kpop Tour

4.9 rating | 1k+ booked | Driver provided | BOOK IT HERE

2. One Day K-POP Dance Class in Hongdae

English Speaking Dance Instructor | 1.5 hour | BOOK IT HERE

3. K-Pop Recording Experience at KING STUDIO

5 rating | 400+ booked | Used by Kpop idols | BOOK IT HERE

And then there are the kdrama filming sites which is a whole different story!

Seoul itself is worth visiting beyond the kpop experiences of course.

I hope this list of kpop things to do in Seoul was helpful. Have a fun time living your best life as a fangirl, fanboy, or fanby!

Top Kpop things to do in Seoul:

▢ Tickets to The Show, my favorite kpop experience in Seoul

▢ Ticket to SBS Inkigayo + Tour Package

▢ Seoul Hallyu Kpop Tour (most popular kpop tour)

▢ K-Pop Recording Experience at KING STUDIO

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