#4K #WalkingTour #Korea
Cheongdam-dong is a high-end residential neighborhood in the northwest corner of the south-central Seoul district of Gangnam. It's split down the middle by Apgujeong-ro in the north, which it shares with its eastern neighbors Apgujeong-dong and Sinsa-dong, and Samseong-ro to the the south, which it shares with Samseong-dong.

The stretch of Apgujeong-ro in Cheongdam-dong is known as Cheongdam Fashion Street because of all the luxury fashion brands that have buildings there: Chanel, Saint Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, and more.

That same stretch of road is also known as K-star Road, a gimmick initiated by the local government to promote Hallyu (Korean Wave) tourism in the area. Three production companies associated with K-pop are located there: SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and CUBE Entertainment. K-star Road consists of a kiosk outside the Galleria Department Store at Apgujeong Rodeo Station, a number of "GangnamDols" (small character statues dedicated to different K-pop groups), and markers directing tourists to a myriad locations associated with some of Korea's celebrities (their favorite restaurants and snack shops, the schools they attended, the buildings where they've lived, etc.).

We start our walk on the southern edge of the neighborhood in Cheongdam Station (Seoul Subway Line 7), exiting via Gate 9. After a look around, we head north along Samseong-ro.

There are many neighborhoods in Seoul that are indistinguishable from each other. This is not one of them. Cheongdam-dong has its own vibe. Here on Samseong-ro, many of the buildings are short and squat, and several have a unique architecture. Exteriors vary. Down the side streets we can glimpse high-rise apartments (as at 05:28), low-rise apartments (06:06), and conventional low-rise office buildings (07:22).

When we cross Dosan-daero at Cheongdam Intersection (09:31), we get a look left and right to see that the scenery differs little from any other major street in southern Seoul. But on the other side we continue north along Apgujeong-ro and find another unique vibe (10:16). This is Cheongdam Fashion Street. Most of the buildings we pass here are owned by luxury fashion brands, so the architecture and exterior decoration of each of them is unique. Were we to dive into the backstreets here, we'd find some of the most expensive residential properties in Korea.

As we go along, we pass a few of the "GangnamDols", specifically those dedicated to Block B (11:27), Kara, Infinite (both at 11:56), and Vixx (12:58). There are several more further along, but we cross the street at 14:44, just after it bends east toward Apgujeong.

Aside from all the fashion stores, we also see Kia 360 (17:47), which is a brand experience venue showcasing new and future designs from Kia Motors, and the Galleria Department Store (18:52), The west wing, on our side of the Hanyang Apartments Intersection, sells high-end items. The rounded corners of the east wing, where more conventional brands are sold, can be seen just beyond the far end of the west wing.

We end the walk by descending into Apgujeong Rodeo Station (Seoul Subway Bundang Line) via Gate 3 and taking a look around.

ROUTE MAP:
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META:
This video was filmed in the early afternoon of March 22, 2022, with an iPhone 11 on a DJI OM4 in 4K @ 60 fps. The temperature was around 13°C/55°F.

SEE ALSO:
My winter walk from Apgujeong Station to Apgujeong Rodeo Station:
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My winter walk from Seonjeongneung Station to Apgujeong Rodeo Station:
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My walk from Cheongdam Station to Samseong Station:
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Cheongdam Station
00:30 Cheongdam Station Gate 9
01:10 Samseong-ro
09:30 Dosan-daero / Cheongdam Intersection
10:06 Apgujeong-ro (Cheongdam Fashion Street / K-star Road)
20:40 Apgujeong Rodeo Station Gate 3

LINKS:
Seoul Subway Line 7 & Bundang Line
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Cheongdam Fashion Street
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K-star Road
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Kia 360
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