A surprising number of K-pop travel guides online are years out of date, recommending a museum that’s been closed since 2023 or listing statues that have since been relocated. Real fan-tourism spots do exist in Seoul, mostly clustered in Gangnam, but sorting out what’s actually still there takes some filtering.
K-Pop Fan Tourism at a Glance
Most of what’s left standing splits into two categories: agency-run spaces built for fans (SMTOWN COEX Artium, the K-Star Road statues) and specific, real-world spots tied to a music video or a member’s personal recommendation. The agency-run spaces are the safer bet for a guaranteed experience, since the second category depends on a small business staying open.
HYBE Insight Is Closed, Don’t Plan Around It
HYBE Insight, the K-pop museum that used to occupy the lower floors of HYBE’s Yongsan headquarters (the agency behind BTS, among others), permanently closed on January 15, 2023. The space was converted into production studios for HYBE’s artists, and as of this writing HYBE hasn’t announced a replacement museum or a new location. If an itinerary or an older blog post still lists it as a stop, cross it off.
SMTOWN COEX Artium: SM’s Official Fan Space
SM Entertainment’s fan space, home to EXO, NCT, Red Velvet, aespa, and other SM artists, occupies floors 2 through 4 of COEX Artium at 513 Yeongdong-daero, open daily 11 AM to 8 PM. The ground-level SMTOWN store is free to browse. The paid museum section runs 18,000 KRW for adults, 15,000 KRW for teens, and 13,000 KRW for children, and covers K-pop history exhibits and hologram concert experiences. A separate SMTOWN Studio session, a recording booth experience, costs around 30,000 KRW per hour.
K-Star Road: 17 Statues in Gangnam
K-Star Road is a stretch of Gangnam lined with 17 life-size bear statues, nicknamed GangnamDols, each painted with a different K-pop group’s imagery. The best-known is a giant PSY bear near Apgujeong Rodeo Station exit 2, a nod to “Gangnam Style.” Other bears cover groups including Girls’ Generation and BTS. At exit 7, GangnamDol Haus doubles as a small gift shop selling take-home versions of the statues and a tourist information point.
Where BLACKPINK Fans Actually Go
YG Entertainment’s headquarters, home to BLACKPINK, WINNER, iKON, and TREASURE, sits in Mapo-gu, with an adjoining fan space called the SameE running a cafe, a merchandise shop, and rotating exhibits. A few specific, real spots come up repeatedly among fans: PETERPAN 1978, a Yeonhui-dong bakery open since 1978 that Jennie has publicly recommended, known for its “Baby Buttocks” bread and potato bread; and Danha, a modern hanbok maker that produced the traditional outfits for BLACKPINK’s “How You Like That” music video and still sells (and custom-orders) similar designs.
These smaller spots are genuine, but they’re also small businesses rather than tourist infrastructure, so hours and even whether they’re still operating are worth double-checking closer to a visit rather than assuming a years-old blog post still holds.
K-Pop Fan Tourism: Quick Answers
No. It closed permanently on January 15, 2023, and the space is now used for production studios. HYBE hasn’t announced a replacement as of this writing.
Browsing the store is free. The paid museum section costs 18,000 KRW for adults, 15,000 KRW for teens, and 13,000 KRW for children.
A stretch of Gangnam displaying 17 life-size bear statues (GangnamDols), each themed to a different K-pop group, running near Apgujeong Rodeo Station.
Several are, including the Yeonhui-dong bakery PETERPAN 1978 and the hanbok maker Danha, but these are independent small businesses, not tourist attractions, so confirming current hours before visiting is worth doing.
SM Entertainment, through SMTOWN COEX Artium, which is purpose-built for fan visits with a store, museum, and studio experience, unlike the now-closed HYBE Insight.
Building a wider Gangnam day around this? Our day tours guide and must-try Korean food guide both cover spots that pair naturally with an afternoon in the area.
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