Seongsu-dong and Seoul Forest: Where Seoul’s Industrial Past Meets Its Stylish Present

[mediK / HEALTH IN NEWS] In the eastern reaches of Seoul, where the old industrial grit of Seongdong-gu meets a sudden sweep of green, Seongsu-dong (성수동) and the sprawling Seoul Forest (서울숲) have quietly become the city’s most convincing argument that reinvention can feel effortless.

What was once a dense grid of shoe factories, print shops, and auto-repair garages has, over the past decade, morphed into the neighborhood Seoulites mention in the same breath as Brooklyn or Berlin’s Kreuzberg. Yet the transformation never feels forced: the red-brick walls and steel beams are still there, only now they frame skylit cafés, independent fashion showrooms, and pop-up spaces that disappear as quickly as they arrive.

1. From factory floor to creative quarter: the Seongsu-dong glow-up

Walk down any side street in Seongsu and the past is still visible in the raw concrete and rusted signage. A former gym is now a cavernous gallery-café; an abandoned warehouse hosts a rotating cast of Korean designers whose clothes hang beneath original crane tracks. The old cobblers’ alley—once lined with craftsmen hammering soles for Seoul’s schoolchildren—has kept its artisans but added concept stores and micro-roasteries. On weekends the sidewalks overflow with twenty- and thirty-somethings who have come from Busan or Daegu just to see what’s new this month.

Sit at one of the oversized windows with a perfectly dialed-in pour-over and watch the light rake across exposed brick. There is something deeply satisfying about a place that lets its industrial bones show while still managing to feel warm, curated, almost tender. For the best photographs and a moment of calm, come on a weekday morning when the streets belong mostly to locals walking their dogs.
2. An urban forest that actually feels like escape: Seoul Forest

A ten-minute stroll north and the city suddenly drops away. Opened in 2005 on the site of former royal hunting grounds and a horse-racing track, Seoul Forest covers nearly 300 acres of meadows, wetlands, and wooded paths. Deer wander behind discreet fences in the Eco Forest; butterflies drift through a dedicated insect garden in summer. In spring the cherry-blossom tunnels are mobbed, but by autumn the crowds thin and the maples turn the walking trails into corridors of fire.

The lakes reflect both sky and skyline, a reminder that you’re still in one of the world’s biggest cities—yet the loudest sound is often the wind in the reeds. Bring a picnic mat, rent a bicycle at the entrance, or simply lie on the grass and watch office workers eat kimbap on their lunch break. Access is easy: Seoul Forest Station on the Bundang Line or Ttukseom Station on Line 2 will put you at the edge of the park in moments.

3. A perfect day in Seongsu and Seoul Forest

Start with sunrise air in the forest, coffee in hand from one of the park kiosks. By late morning drift south into Seongsu’s café streets—Daelim Changgo, Zagmachi, or whichever new spot is making the rounds on Instagram this week. Lunch can be a shared platter of truffle-tomato pasta in a converted factory or, better still, a quick circuit of the remaining old-school vendors for kalguksu noodles or pork cutlets.

Spend the afternoon browsing showrooms, then claim a rooftop table as the light softens. Dinner ranges from handmade pasta to natural-wine bars tucked behind unmarked doors.

Every season rewrites the script: spring petals drifting onto café terraces, autumn leaves crunching underfoot, winter nights when the illuminated streets glow like a film set and a surprise snowfall turns the whole district into a postcard.

Practical notes from someone who’s walked these streets in every weather

• Wear comfortable shoes—Seongsu is made for wandering.
• The magic hour for photos is either early morning or just before sunset.
• Popular cafés often have lines; bring patience or come off-peak.
• Check the forecast: overcast days are perfect for lingering indoors over second and third cups; bright days belong to the forest paths.

Oh Ha Eun medi·K TEAM press@themedik.kr

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