One of Seoul's coolest neighborhoods is Seongsu, a once-drab industrial district now awash with trendy coffee shops and designer boutiques.
Photographer: Tina Hsu/BloombergEx-Mayor of Seoul’s ‘Brooklyn’ Sets Sights on Running Capital
Chong Won-O says he helped turn Seongsu from a neglected industrial zone into one of the city’s hottest neighborhoods. His opponent argues he’s taking too much credit.
The social media verdict is unanimous: Seoul’s coolest neighborhood is Seongsu, a once-drab industrial district that has become a hotspot for trendy coffee shops, elegant art spaces and starchitect-designed boutiques. Now, the politician widely credited with the area’s transformation wants to run South Korea’s capital, and he’s leading in the polls.
In the neighborhood in eastern Seoul, crowds of stylish young people can be seen lining up outside bakeries, or shopping for sneakers at stores so minimal they look like galleries. Fintech start-ups and K-pop agencies occupy prime office space, and casually dressed staff often pop out to drink iced Americanos.