travelgasm®

Established in 1905 and considered to be Korea's first modern university as well as one of the most prestigious in the country, Korea University (고려대학교) — or KU for short — is famous among Koreans and well known among expats for its highly regarded Korean Language Center (KLC).

Tourists often visit Sinchon (신촌) and Hongdae (홍대) — commonly called the "University Quarter" when translated into English — but far fewer visit Anam (안암) where Korea University is located. In fact, when travelgasm.com first wrote this piece, Korea University wasn't in the top 100 attractions on the big tourist advisory sites, and we humbly suggest that it should receive more attention than it does.

Korea University itself has an attractive campus — with many buildings that pay architectural homage to a classic English boarding school — as well as verdant grounds nestled among the hills.

See the Hanok in Anam

The Anam (안암) neighborhood surrounding the school also is well worth a wander. Structurally, Anam tends to be smaller scale than Sinchon and Hongdae, and Anam still contains a number of traditional Korean houses — called Hanok (한옥) — scattered in gritty alleyways between small apartment complexes.

If you appreciate the Hanok in Bukchon (북촌) and would like to see a real neighborhood that has similar architecture you likely would enjoy Anam. Of course, because Anam is a genuine neighborhood — and one that always has been more modest than Bukchon — the condition of the properties can vary widely. Some Hanok have been converted to cheap rental properties for students and have seen better days, but others likely are owner occupied because they look well loved.

Where to Eat & Drink in Anam

Because of the student population, Anam also is a great neighborhood to visit for an inexpensive lunch, dinner, or night out. Anam is not as busy or chaotic as Sinchon and Hongdae, and it feels more like a small college town nestled within a big city. Like university areas everywhere, Anam tends to wake up around noon, so the afternoon or evening is the best time to visit.

The main street in Anam — Inchon-ro 24-gil (인촌로24길) — is small scale and pleasantly tree-lined and a nice place to stroll or just hang out. There are a solid number of inexpensive coffee shops, clothing stores, restaurants, bars, and clubs on the main street as well as in the surrounding alleys.

Part of the fun of this kind of neighborhood is just wandering around and seeing what strikes your fancy, but among many other options, three restaurants in the area well-regarded by Koreans include Goreun Haetsal (고른햇살) for inexpensive Korean snack food, Fromaqi (프로마치) for salads and sandwiches, and Cafe Bresson (카페브레송) for Korean and Western-inspired desserts.

There are plenty of bars and clubs serving beer and cocktails, but if you would like to try a drink a bit more unique — and definitely Korean — you might enjoy a Makgeolli House (막걸리집), which are common in the area. Makgeolli (막걸리) is a milky white alcohol made from rice, or sometimes wheat, and known for its high probiotic content in its raw form as available in South Korea.

If you plan to stay out late, be sure to refer to the metro schedule and night bus options. Remember that the last train runs around midnight. The N15 and N16 night buses stop near Bomun Station (보문역), which is about 1 kilometer (0.6 of a mile) from Inchon-ro 24-gil. If that's further than you would like to walk after an evening out, you might prefer to leave before midnight if you also don't want to pay for a taxi back to the relatively distant core of the city.

We've mapped out our favorite walks below through the Korea University campus and Anam. One includes a detour loop through an area dense with Hanok and the other is the most direct route from Korea University to Inchon-ro 24-gil.

How to Get Here: Take the Brown Line (Line 6) to Korea University Station. Turn right from Exit 1 to connect directly to the university campus. If you follow our suggested walks, Anam Station, Exit 3 is a convenient departure point. Alternately, if you would prefer to go directly to the main commercial street — Inchon-ro 24-gil (인촌로24길) — you could start with Anam Station, Exit 3, and reverse the walk if you also would like to visit the campus.

Cities > Seoul > Seoul Overlooked 7 > Next: (2) Walk Little Paris... >>

Like Korea University and Anam? Tell your friends and frenemies on social media that you discovered them first:

Be sure to see our Top 7 Things to Do in Seoul, too.

Intelligent and good-looking readers of travelgasm.com like you also sign up for our free mailing list.

Live in Seoul? What's your favorite "local" thing to do? Spotted anything out-of-date or inaccurately translated? Please tell travelgasm.com. 고맙습니다. Thanks!