Nerd activities in Seoul
Seoul is the city with the biggest contrast between traditional culture and modern technology. While all the traditional attractions have signposts (and sometimes robots) pointing to them. Finding nerd activities is a difficult task.
Map of Nerd activities in Seoul
Gaming
League of Legends
- 1 T1 Base Camp (티원베이스캠프), 서울특별시 마포구 양화로 147 B1층 (the signs are visible from the main street; then go down the stairs to enter the main area). 24/7. This is the home base of the famous T1 esports team. It is a PC bang (A place where you can rent a computer to play games), a fan store with both T1 and League of Legends merchandise, and sells gaming accessories. For a small fee, you can play games on their many computers.
- 1 LoL Park (LCK area,롤파크) (in the Gran Seoul shopping center: go to Jonggak subway station and take exit 1; on the building in front of you, there will be a familiar logo; the entrance is underneath that; then take the stairs to the second floor (or 3F Korean style)). A destination for any League of Legends player. In this e-sports temple, the best matches are played, both by professional gamers and by you, in the PC-bang (internet cafe). There are merch stores to get the latest merch for both League of Legends and the LCK teams. Or you can quench your hunger and thirst in the bilgewater cafe, with is a collaboration between bb.q and Riot Games. Tickets are available at Interpark. Tickets are sold 48 hours before the matches. But you will need lightning-fast finders because the more than 300 tickets sell out in seconds. Free entrance. Tickets are about ₩30,000.
Other games
- 2 Retro Game Bar (레트로게임바), 3층, 7 Jandari-ro, Mapo-gu. W 20:00-late, Th 19:00-late, F-Su 18:00-late. At this retro gaming inspired bar, all the games are free. Many old consoles are ready for you to game on. There is an expectation that you have something to drink while you are there. But why not have a drink when you spend hours in these old games Free but a drink is expected.
Museums
- 2 Korea Manhwa museum, Giljuro 1, Bucheon-si. this museum details the history of Korean comics.
Military history and aviation
- 3 National War Memorial (전쟁기념관), 29, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, 특별시 용산구 이태원로 29 (용산동1가) (Lines 4 and 6, Samgakji station), ☏ +82-2-709-3114. Tu-Su 09:30-18:00. A museum about Korean military history and Korean War. It starts with the ancient and Middle Ages, explaining the wars at that time and showing the weaponry of the time. Then the second-floor deals with the Korean War, both focusing on the Korean and UN forces. Outside of the memorial, there are several fighter, bomber, and trainer aircraft displayed that were used during Korean War. free.
- 4 National Aviation Museum of Korea (국립항공박물관), Haneul-gil 177 (Gonghang-dong 1373-5). Gangseo-gu (ride a shuttle bus at the Gimpo Airport Domestic Terminal). Tu-Su 10:00–18:00, closed on Mondays, Lunar New Year, regular New years day, and Chuseok. Opened in 2020, this museum shows the history of general and Korean aviation and the past, present, and future of the aviation industry. It houses many retired airplanes like F-51 and T-50. Free.
- 5 National Weather Museum (국립 기상 박물관), 52 Songwol-gil, Jongno-gu (Exit 4 of Seodaemun Station on Line 5), ☏ +82 070-7850-8493. tu-su 9:00-18:00 (last entry 17:00). The National Weather Museum can see the development of modern weather technology from the history of weather observation to the current day world of supercomputers. Free.
Buy
Technology
- 1 Techno Mart (Sindorim), 97 Saemal-ro, Guro-gu (Next to Gangbyeon St.). The Techno Marts at Sindorim station. There are two Techno Marts in Seoul: the original at Gangbyeon station and the new store at Sindorim station. Both complexes house over 2,000 stores across eight floors that sell a variety of high-tech products. From electrical appliances to computers, you will find everything you need. The first floor has cosmetics, accessories, and stationeries. The second and third floors comprise Korean-made electrical goods, while the fourth and fifth floors sell foreign-made electrical appliances. The sixth floor sells cell phones and their accessories. Computers are sold on the seventh and on the eighth music and DVDs. Aside from all the high-tech gadgetry, there are over a dozen restaurants on the 9th floor and a cineplex and arcade on the 10th.
- 2 Yongsan ETLand, 74, Cheongpa-ro, Yongsan-gu. M-F 10:00-19:30, Sa Su 10:00-20:00. Yongsan ETLand, Korea's first shopping mall for electronic appliances, is an enormous wholesale electronics market situated near the Yongsan Train Station. It emerged in 1988 as part of the city's redevelopment project and has since become the leading electronics distributor in the country. This one-stop shopping center caters to all electronic needs, offering a wide array of products like computers, imported audio systems, game utilities, digital gadgets, electronic parts, and various IT products. Conveniently located near a subway station in the city center, it is easily accessible via public transportation. Besides housing numerous electronic stores, the complex also features additional amenities such as a multiplex theater, Lotte Cinema, and a diverse range of restaurants. For anyone interested in purchasing electronics, Yongsan ETLand remains the go-to place in Korea.
Other
- 3 Kyobo Book Store (Kyobomungo, 교보문고/敎保文庫), Jongno1-ga, Jongno-gu (Gwanghwamun Station, Line 5, Exit 3. Head down the stairs because the store is fully located underground.), ☏ +82 2-397-3500. 09:30 to 22:00. Kyobo is the largest chain of bookstores in South Korea, and this flagship store is located in the center of Seoul. It is completely invisible from the outside because it is underground. It is accessed directly from the Gwanghwamun subway station or at the intersection of Sejongno and Jongno. There is a huge selection of books, CDs, DVDs, stationery items, cardmaking, and a bunch of other accessories (there are even handbags). Also has books in foreign languages.