Bundang
Bundang (분당, 盆唐) is a ward in Seongnam, a suburb of Seoul, in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Since 2010, Pangyo has emerged as Korea's Silicon Valley, attracting many IT and BT workers from Pangyo.
Understand
Bundang is located close to Pangyo (Pangyo Silicon Valley).
Bundang, also known as Bundang under Cheondang, is a neighborhood where many middle-class and wealthy Koreans live.
Get in
By subway
The Bundang Line subway connects Bundang to central Seoul. New Bunndang Line connects Gangnam to Bundang. It is faster than the old one, but more expensive.
By bus
Additionally, many buses run between Bundang to Seoul. You can take express or gwangyeok (광역) buses for Bundang at Seoul Exchange Center, taking Seoul Ring Expressway.
- Seongnam Bus Terminal, 16 Seongnamdae-ro 925 been-gil (directly connected to Yatap Station). In Seoul, you don't need to take intercity buses to get to Bundang. If you are in other cities such as Incheon, you may take intercity buses.
By taxi
The Airport Limousine can be found near Seohyeon and Ori Stations. Here you can get a ride to Incheon Airport for about ₩12,000.
Get around
By subway
The Bundang Subway Line stops in all the major areas of Bundang, and is very convenient.
By bus
Many buses run between all the different areas of Bundang. Buses are the best way to get back and forth between Bundang and Seoul, even during rush hour (20:00) a bus can get from Bundang to Insadong in 40 minutes. This trip will cost about ₩1,700.
By taxi
Taxis can be used, but they are not as ubiquitous as in Seoul. During rush hour it is near impossible to find a free taxi. At night, however, there should be no problem. Ask about your destination before you get in, as some taxis will only take you to certain areas (for example, some taxis are only for trips to Seoul, and cannot take you around Bundang) Most local taxis will not run the meter to Seoul and will ask for ₩30-40,000 for the trip.
See
- Central Park (중앙공원) (near Seohyeon Station and Sunae Station). A beautiful place to stroll around. You can see an old Korean house as well, the last remaining house from the traditional village that existed in Bundang during the Joseon era.
- Yuldong Park (율동공원) (near Seohyeon station). You can do bungee jumping here.
- Seongnam Art Center (성남아트센터), 808 Seongnamdae-ro (near Imae station), ☏ +82 31 783-8000. Musicals and pop music concerts as well as classic music concerts are performed in the opera house. They sometimes exhibit art works created by local artists.
- Tancheon Stadium (탄천종합운동장), 215 Tancheon-ro (near Yatap station), ☏ +82 31 725-7100. Seongnam City has its own local football team, Seongnam FC. It won the league seven times, and has enthusiastic fans. At this stadium, you can see the team's play.
Do
- Tancheon. The small river that runs through Bundang, has excellent walking and cycling paths along both banks. Additionally, there are basketball courts and grassy fields up and down the river, as well as a small golf course near Sunae station.
- Bungee jumping. Bungee jumping is available at Yuldong Park. Prices are around ₩25,000..
- 1 Book Theme Park Library (책테마파크도서관), 145, Munjeong-ro. 10:00-18:00 (Closed on Monday).
Buy
Bundang is a place for shoppers. You can visit department stores run by Korean retail giants.
Departments stores
- Hyundai Department Store, 20, Pangyoyeok-ro 146beon-gil (near Pangyo Station), ☏ +82 31 5170-2233. You can shop from luxuries to fast fashion brands. It has a very large place for restaurants and cafes in the basement.
- AK Plaza, 42, Hwangsaeul-ro 360beon-gil (near Seohyeon Station). It's a central place in Seohyeon. It is directly connected to the subway station, and you can see many people waiting for someone in the lobby.
- Lotte Department Store (near Sunae Station).
- NC Department Store (near Yatap Station).
Discount department stores
- Homeplus Yatap, 16, Seongnam-daero 925beon-gil (near Yatap Station), ☏ +82 31 705-2080. 10:00-24:00.
- Kim's Club Yatap, 11, Yatap-ro 81beon-gil (near Yatap Station), ☏ +82 31 780-3000. 09:00-24:00.
- Kim's Club Bundang, 20, Migeumil-ro 154beon-gil, ☏ +82 31 786-2001. 10:30-23:00, closed Sundays.
- Lotte Mart Seohyeon, 28, Hwangsaeul-ro 311beon-gil (near Seohyeon Station), ☏ +85 31 789-2500. 10:00-23:00.
- Hanaro Mart Seongnam, 11, Seongnam-daero 43beon-gil (near Ori Station), ☏ +85 31 738-9000. 09:00-23:00.
Eat
Bundang is known for its variety of restaurants. The streets west of Jeongja Station are home to a large selection of dining establishments.
- 1 Jeongja Cafe Streets (정자동 카페 거리) (west of Jeongja Station).
- 2 Eating Street in Seohyun-dong (서현동 효자촌 먹자 골목), 289-5 Seohyeon-dong. This road is where delicious restaurants are gathered.
- 3 Dai Hoshi, 1F, 6 Pangyo Station Road 10beon-gil, ☏ +82 507-1425-8322. 12:00-22:00. The restaurant serves kaisendon, a Japanese rice bowl made with a variety of seasonal seafood, and aged sashimi.
- 4 DAMSOT(담솥), 103, 1st floor, 25 Dongpangyo-ro 177beon-gil, ☏ +82 507-1342-9553. 11:00-21:00. It's made by cooking rice, a staple food in Korea, in a metal utensil called a sot. The menu varies depending on the ingredients that go on top, and after eating the rice, warm water is added to the bowl of rice and eaten as soongnyeong.
- 5 DAI HOSHI, 1F, 6 Pangyo Station Road 10beon-gil, ☏ +82 507-1425-8322. 12:00-22:00. The restaurant serves kaisendon, a Japanese rice bowl made with a variety of seasonal seafood, and aged sashimi.
Drink
A wide variety of drinking establishments can be found around every subway station. Seohyeon and Jeongja stations are good places to start, with the majority of "Western Bars" being at Seohyeon station in the shopping corridors directly outside of AK Plaza (Samsung Plaza)'s two main entrances. Popular western bars in this location include: Amuse, Monkey Beach, Dublin, Lose Control, and Traveler's Bar & Grill.
Sleep
- 1 Bundang Mate Tourist Hotel (분당 메이트 호텔), 261-4 Seohyeon-dong, ☏ +82 1644 5501, bmatehotel@naver.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. It is a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Seohyeon Station on Bundang Line and about a 10-minute drive from Pangyo Techno Valley. Nearby attractions include Avneufran and Jeongjeon Café Alley, a 10-minute drive away, and Yuldong Park, a 15-minute drive.This Seongnam hotel features free wireless Internet access in public areas and an indoor pool. Other amenities include valet parking, meeting rooms, and a café.This hotel has a 24-hour reception and offers concierge services, a safe, and luggage storage. Laundry facilities, laundry service and dry cleaning are also available for guests' convenience. Costs range from \85,000 - \100,000 per adult per night.
- 2 KYND HOTEL (카인드 호텔), 10 Hwangsaeul-ro, Seongnam-si, ☏ +82 031 781 0009. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. It is about a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Seohyeon Station on Bundang Line and a 10-minute drive from Seongnam Bus Terminal. Nearby attractions include Seongnam Art Center, which is a 5-minute drive away, Jeongjeong Cafe Alley, which is a 10-minute drive away, and Namhansanseong Fortress, which is a 30-minute drive away. The hotel features a fitness center, conference rooms and a golf driving range. Guests can also enjoy free Wi-Fi in all rooms, parking facilities and luggage storage services. The hotel offers a total of 92 modern and cozy rooms. Each room is equipped with a Nespresso coffee machine, 2 capsules and a multi-plug, while the bathroom is equipped with a bidet, luxury toiletries and a hairdryer. The hotel has a breakfast restaurant where guests can enjoy a European-style buffet and Korean dishes. Costs range from ₩110,000-130,000 per adult per night.
- 3 SR Hotel Suites - Bundang (에스알 스위츠 분당), 9 Hwangsaeul-ro 319beon-gil, ☏ +82 031 702 6565. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. The hotel is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Seohyeon Station on Bundang Line, and about a 10-minute drive from Pangyo Techno Valley. Nearby attractions include Avneufran and Jeongjeong Auto Cafe Alley, which are about a 10-minute drive away, and Yuldong Park, which is about a 15-minute drive away.The hotel lobby features a snack lounge and a business zone, where guests can grab a quick bite to eat while conducting business. The conference zone can also be used as a meeting room, depending on the purpose. Guests can spend their leisure time in the fitness center, while the private sauna can soothe their tiredness at the end of the day. The modernly decorated rooms are divided into studios and suites and are equipped with air conditioning, a TV, a refrigerator, a desk, a personal safe, an electric kettle, and free toiletries in the bathroom.A buffet breakfast is served at the hotel's in-house 'Aria' restaurant. The cost is around ₩100,000-130,000 per adult per night.
- 4 Gravity Seoul Pangyo, Autograph Collection (그래비티 서울 판교 오토그래프 컬렉션 메리어트 인터내셔널), 146, 2 Pangyoyeok-ro, ☏ +82 031 539 4800. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. It is about an hour's drive from Incheon International Airport. Nearby attractions include Hyundai Department Store Pangyo, about a 3-minute walk away, Pangyo Museum, about a 5-minute drive away, and Seongnam Art Center, about a 10-minute drive away.The hotel's location in the heart of Pangyo Techno Valley, less than a 3-minute walk from Pangyo Station on the Sinjindang Line, makes it a great location for business guests.The hotel offers front desk and concierge services and wireless Internet access. There is parking, a laundry room, a fitness center and a swimming pool. A business center and banquet hall are also available for meetings and events.There are a total of 306 guestrooms, with four room types: Business Deluxe, Premier Deluxe, Valley Suite and Gravity Suite. The modern and uniquely decorated rooms are equipped with air conditioning, TV, table, safe, refrigerator, bottled water, and telephone, while the bathrooms are equipped with bathrobes, hair dryer, and toiletries.The buffet restaurant Andish is located on the second floor of the hotel for all-day dining. Homuran, a Japanese restaurant located on the top floor, offers fine Japanese cuisine, including omakase, with views of Pangyo city center. Zerovity, a lounge and bar located on the first floor, is a great place to relax and spend time, serving drinks such as coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages, as well as light meals and snacks such as pasta and burgers. The cost is around ₩230,000-250,000 per adult per night.
- 5 DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo Residences (더블트리 바이 힐튼 서울 판교 레지던스), 26_R, Baekhyeon-ro, ☏ +82 03 1678 5678. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. It is a 10-minute walk from Pangyo Station and about a 15-minute drive to Techno Valley. The hotel has a wide range of facilities, including a fitness center, indoor pool, sauna, tennis court, and banquet hall. In addition, there is an all-day dining restaurant and cafe, as well as a bar and restaurant with skyline views on the top floor.Costs range from ₩160,000-190,000 per adult per night.
Stay safe
Like the rest of Korea, the Bundang area is very safe. As long as you use common sense, there should be no problems.
Go next
- Everland is not too far away, and can be reached by several different buses in the area.