If you are a Netflix K-drama fan, chances are that you had already known this place through the popular drama series Vincenzo 빈센조, starring Hallyu superstar Song Joong-ki. The drama series tells the story of a Korean adoptee who becomes a mob lawyer, after being raised by an Italian mafia family. He went back to South Korea aiming to get the hidden gold underneath “Geumga Plaza” where he meets tenants of the building.
We visited the place where the “Geumga Plaza” is filmed at. It is located right in the “Hipjiro” area, where the Seoulites and hipsters alike frequent these days. The building itself is called Seun Sangga (세운 상가) or Sewoon Arcade. It is not too surprising to feel a sense of nostalgia walking around this oldest neighbourhood of Seoul.
We entered the building through some random garages. The place looks rather unassuming, especially from the car parts store and garage. However, once you climbed up to the walkways, it is a completely different world — a peculiar space with a mixture of old and new.
Seun Sangga is an old shopping arcade build in 1967. It was known the be the place to buy electronics and audio appliances, as well as books, records and movie posters back in the olden days. The business and footfalls began to decline in the 1990s when modern shopping malls were rapidly opening up.
You’d still see a vintage record store and poster shop here, which makes a good photo zone!
Hidden Cafe & Dining Enclaves
As part of the reboot project by the Seoul government, startups, indie cafes and restaurants have joined the ecosystem. With these hipster enclaves springing up in this timeworn building, it transports you to the industrial 70s.
However, most restaurants and cafes close on Sunday or Monday so if you’re visiting this place, please avoid these days. It is also better to visit this place around 3-4 pm, where you can have ample time to check out the building, and enjoy some coffee, followed by dinner here if you wished to!
#Tips: Cafes & Restaurants to Check Out: • Horagi 호랑이 A vintage-themed cafe located at level 3 of Sewoon Sangga. Famed for its rich & velvety Horangi Latte 호랑이 라떼, please make sure to stop over for a coffee! Other recommended menu including Fruits Sando, Castella Cake & Americano. • Imelda Bunsik 이멜다 분식 While it is considered a Bunsik (Korean-styled snack food) restaurant, Imelda is a crowd pleaser here for its comprehensive and affordable menu ranging from ddeokbokki, fried snacks to meals like omurice, Japanese curry rice and donkatsu set! Recommended menu: UFO Omurice. • Bbawoo 빠우 A small shop famed for its soft and chewy fried donut.
I guess any Vincenzo drama fan would be able to identify this building from afar. It is actually the building right opposite Sewoon Sangga called Cheonggye Plaza (청계상가). I have also screen-grabbed some scenes from the drama below for ease of your reference 🙂
Vincenzo’s Room
Seun Sangga is also the filming location of Vincenzo’s room. For those who wish to take photos at this place, just enter the building and you’ll see this area where the drama team filmed some of the scenes outside Vincenzo’s room.
However, as these are office and residential area, please keep your voice down here.
MAKERCITY – Exhibition
Another attraction you may wish to check out here is the exhibition hall at the MAKERCITY. The vintage showroom features the development of South Korea’s electronic and digital transformation. There are also booths where you can have an immersive experience understanding the related topics. It is quite interesting if you can understand the language!
Writer’s Note: While Seun Sangga or Sewoon Arcade is the filming location for Netflix’s popular K-drama Vincenzo which fans would love visiting, I’d also recommend you to visit this place if you are into anything indie and hipster. Ultimately, Euljiro is a quaint neighbourhood with 70s vibes that is hard to come by in Seoul.
You may also check out Coffee Hanyak Bang 커피 한약방, a cafe that serves good coffee, stop by Susanna’s Apron to savour some nice and fluffy bakes or head over to Eunjoo-Jung 은주정 to enjoy one of the most popular Kimchi Jjigae restaurants around the area after your trip! The Cheonggyecheon Stream and Gwangjang Market are a stone’s throw away too!
Contact Details
Sewoon Arcade 세운상가
159, Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 서울시 종로구 청계천로 159
09:00 – 19:00 (Closed Sundays and public holidays)
Tel: +82-2-2271-2344
http://sewoonplaza.com/
