HALLYU is
the in-thing now and popularity of KPOP is spreading rapidly around the
whole world!!
With my
recent new found interest for KPOP, one of the things that made my last November trip and this trip even
more exciting is of course KPOP Hunt. Check out what I managed to capture in
Seoul from both trips…..
Part 1
Our first
encounter – Hallyu corner in KTO Headquarters
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| Kwon Sang Woo (权相佑) and Song Seung Heon (宋承宪) |
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| 2NE1 |
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| Lee Byung Hun (李炳宪) |
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| 2PM - Ok Taecyeon (玉泽演) |
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| SNSD |
In Seoul, almost all
the skincare shops are endorsed by famous Hallyu stars…..
· The Saem by Lee Seung Gi last year and now IU
· Innisfree by Yoona of Girls’ Generation
·
The Face Shop by Kim Sung Jong
·
It’s Skin by 2PM
·
Nature Republic by JYJ and Jang Guen Suk
And the list
goes on……Here’s some that I captured.
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| Jang Geun Suk for Nature Republic |
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| 2PM for Look Optical |
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| 2PM - Nichkhun (He is really popular!) |
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| Nichkhun for It's Skin |
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| IU ofr the saem |
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| 2PM for NEPA |
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| Various stars for various brands |
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| Various stars fro various brands |
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| Son Ga In (BEG) |
My favourite KPOP group is 2AM, a 4-guy ballad group. In 2AM, as you might already know, I like Jo Kwon, the leader,
best! During my two trips, I managed to chance upon quite a few posters featuring
2AM and Jo Kwon (lucky!!). I even
managed to see 2AM’s Seoul Metro CF while on the subway and Jo Kwon’s ALBA
Heaven CF when it was first launched in Seoul last year. Lucky!!!
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| Jo Kwon for Seoul Metro |
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| Jo Kwon for Alba Heaven |
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| Jo Kwon for Alba Heaven
|
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| Jo Kwon for Alba Heaven
|
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| 2AM for Seoul Metro |
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| 2AM for KAPPA |
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| Jo Kwon for Seoul Metro |
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| My favorite daily service, Jo Kwon for Seoul Metro |
Part 2
How can a
trip to Seoul be complete if I leave without owning a KPOP CD of my idol!!
My last trip to
Seoul happens to coincide with the release of 2AM 1st Concert DVD –
Saint O’Clock. What luck I have!! Thanks to advice given by Khanh in his blog,
I managed to find this shop in Myeongdong subway station which gives good
price.
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| KPOP Shop |
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| KPOP Shop |
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| KPOP Shop |
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| KPOP Shop |
Here’s
what I bought from both trips, 我的战利品.
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| Saint o'clock concert DVD |
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| 2AM latest mini album |
Directions (cr: http://khanhinkorea.tumblr.com)
Take a
train to Myeongdong Station which is on the blue line (Line 4). Look
for signs directing you to Exit 5 and 6. Once you get pass the gate, stay in
the underground station and look straight ahead. You should see shops lining
both the right and left hand sides and this is the Myeongdong Underground
Mall. The store is on the left hand side of the underground mall.
Part 3
My love for Adam Couple started after watching them on “We Got Married”.
During my
last trip, I chanced upon 2 places which were featured in “We Got Married”. The
first was별다방미스리 (Byeoldabangmiseuri) in Insadong which I have
mentioned in my November 2011 trip blog – where the Sweet Potato couple visited
during one of their outings.
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| Byeoldabangmiseuri |
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| Byeoldabangmiseuri
|
The second
is this street stall in Myeongdong that the Adam Couple patronized during their 1st
Christmas together. I went back to confirm and yes, they are the same uncle and
auntie who treated the Adam Couple to their “tornado potato chips”.
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| Tornado Potato |
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| Same stall |
During this trip, I chanced upon the place where Khuntoria couple waited for Adam Couple at Namsan Cable Car Station (which I have earlier mentioned) and this - Jo Kwon as Ok Yeob in All My Love at Trick Eye Museum.
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| Ok Yeob in Trick Eye Museum |
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| Ok Yeob in Trick Eye Museum
|
I also went to the Noraebang that 2AM went to.
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| Karaoke box in Hongdae |
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| 2AM |
Part 4
When we were planning this trip, we were thinking that if we have time, we can try to checkout the various Entertainment Companies - SM, CUBE, JYPE, etc. However, in the end, we dropped the idea. We decided to just visit Eversing - the shop owned by SM Entertainment that sells merchandises of their artistes. There are 2 branches, one in Apgujeong and the other in Myeongdong. We planned this into our itinerary but not a must-see but we happened to find it.
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| Eversing in Apgujeong |
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| SNSD |
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| Chocolates |
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| SUJU mugs |
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| Mugs with signatures |
The branch at Myeongdong is easier to find. It is on the 4th floor where SPAO is and just in our hotel building, Skypark Myeongdong I.
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| Eversing in Myeongdong |
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| Merchandise area |
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| Lift Lobby |
From this trip, the best part of my KPOP Hunt is of course non other than seeing 2AM performing live at Lotte World. I simply couldn't believe it.
That's all from me for now on my Seoul trips, till my next trip, またね!!
