The color of Seoul is diverse. The sparkling colorful lights, the bustling streets crowded with many people, the forests and parks filled with greenery, the Hangang river gleaming with various lights every minute, and the various villages that have been there for a long time without getting tinged with any color or light. Nowadays, Seoul has more colors than before. It is thanks to the emerging villages that are filled with beautiful or witty wall paintings drawn up to the corner of the spider-like alley. Here we present wall painting streets of Seoul that boast various colors. It is a place where you can see many colors of Seoul that you could not have seen before.
Kang Full Cartoon Street
Kang Full, a cartoonist who has become very popular with works, such as Sunjeong Manhwa and Timing, etc., enjoys bringing sceneries of the town where he has lived since his childhood into cartoons. That's why you can see many scenes of Gangdong-gu in his comic books. Did his love for the town finally pay off? In return for his love for the town, Gangdong-gu decided to put his cartoons in all over the town. That's how Kang Full Cartoon Street was born.
The world in the cartoon of Kang Full is set in the areas of Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu. This place, named Kang Full Cartoon Street, begins at the exit 4 of Gangdong Station. Kang Full's Romance Comics series (Sunjeong Manhwa, Babo, I Love You, Every Moment of Your Life, etc.) melted into this town. Not only the best scenes in the cartoons are reconstructed but major characters also appear and say greetings. Let's follow the guide arrow. If you are an avid reader of the webtoons of Kang Full, the scenes in the works that you can recognize at a glance follow along the fences in the town.
The House of Seung Ryong, who is the main character of Babo, is also located on one side of the cartoon street. ‘The House of Seung Ryong’ is a cultural space that represents Kang Full Cartoon Street. The first floor is a cafe, the second floor is a reading space where you can read comics, and the third floor is a work space for cartoonists. If you want to spend time reading a comic book with a cup of coffee, go knock on the door of the house with joy. You can also get explanations and guides on Kang Full Cartoon Street here.
The House of Seung Ryong
- Address 65-29, Cheonho-daero 168ga-gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
- Tel +82-2-3425-6134
- Hours Mon - Sat 10:00 - 20:00 (Closed Sundays)
Hongdae Wall Mural Street
Hongdae street is always filled with experimental and original artistry. The unusual landscape awaits us everywhere, and there are many places where we can make different attempts at all times. Hongdae street is not just a downtown area where college students gather around, but a representative spot which leads the new culture. The very people who lead the core of ‘Hongdae Culture’, they are Hongik University students.
Every autumn, Hongik University students hold an exhibition that makes Hongdae street more colorful, which is Hongdae Street Art Exhibition. Hongdae street art exhibition is another festival held by Hongik University students. Participants form a team and fill the Hongdae streets with artworks full of their unique personality. The fences around Hongik University become their canvases. Works that seem to be inspired by the latest movies and dramas, works that reflect the times or ingeniously re-interpret the recently emerging issues in every corner of Hongdae street. The artwork that infinitely expresses the artistic inspiration of an individual artist captures the eyes of those who come and go.
Even after the street art exhibition period ends, the wall paintings remain intact. It means you can always enjoy the works of the street art exhibition if you would like to. It is fun to look at the works painted a few years ago and guess what the artist's feelings were like at the time of exhibition. Take a walk along the alleyway that connects Hongdae street like a spider web. It will feel like walking in an art gallery.
Wall Mural Street
- Address Wausan-ro 22-gil, 24-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Directions Alley next to main entrance of Hongik University
Mullae Artists Village
Originally Mullae-dong was an area where the foundries of cutting down the machinery parts gathered up and where the factories were formed. It was full of sharp metallic sounds and unique smell of iron powder. At some point, artists have come here and put various colors on this village, and now the village is welcoming visitors with the new name Mullae Creative Village.
Suddenly, wall paintings emerge from every corner of the alley. Large and small sculptures made by artists in creative villages also give people unexpected laughter. Trendy cafes, pubs and restaurants stand out in the alleys. The old restaurants, which have been here for many years still make dishes with great skill. This is where the old scenery and the new harmonize, and it has recently become known as a place to spend a leisurely afternoon with friends or as a place for a date course. It is a must-visit hot place to visit in Yeongdeungpo area.
Mullae Artists Village
- Address 13-8, Dorim-ro 128ga-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Myeongdong Jaemiro
On the other side of Myeongdong street, on the hill road to Namsan, there is a cartoon street called Jaemi-ro. About 70 artists provided their own content for free and made this street. Each and every corner of the street is decorated with cartoons ranging from the familiar characters such as Pororo and Larva, which are popular among children, to famous webtoons, such as Misaeng, The Sound of Mind, and the cartoons of the old days, such as Run Honey and Baseball Team of Fear. It is really the world of cartoons.
On the way to Namsan from Myeongdong station, there are so many attractions to see. It seems like the wall paintings that depicted a scene of a cartoon and the characters' sculptures are gesturing for us to take a picture as souvenir. The scenes of comics that will remind us of the old days are embroidered on the street of Jaemiro. There is also space for those who like cartoons. In Jaemirang, you can enjoy various cartoon works, visit exhibitions held occasionally. It also runs a webtoon drawing experience program. In memorial hall of director Kim Cheonggi, there is an exhibition on the theme of his representative work Robot Taekwon V.
Myeongdong Jaemiro
- Address 42, Toegye-ro 20-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
- Hours 10:00 - 19:00 (Closed Mondays & Holidays)
Majang-dong Flower Wall Mural Town
There was an old town behind the largest livestock market in Korea. It was a town that had become old and shabby because it had not been maintained for a long time, but recently a project has started and this town is getting brighter. The so-called Flower Wall Painting Project. The Flower Wall Painting Project is a wall painting project that has been done about 20 times since 2014. There have been many artists and volunteers participating in painting the exterior walls of the buildings and the walls of the alleyways by now.
This place, which was once dark and spooky alley, was shunned by people. However, there are many things to see including flower paintings, and now the place is being born again as a date course. A total of about 150 wall paintings, including whale paintings, the seeming pictures of the town dogs, traditional fairy tales, and the town’s history transmitted by townspeople, all pervade every corner of the town. Let's take a look at the sign that introduces the walking tour at the entrance of the town. If you walk through the town and look for the wall paintings one by one, you will soon fall in love with the charm of the Majang-dong Flower Wall Painting Town.
Mural Town
- Directions Subway Line 4, Majang Station, Exit 4 (Turn around, follow the alleyway on the right side, and turn to the right side of Serim Apartment)