Buam-dong: Seoul’s Quiet Hillside Neighborhood

Featured in the ACADEMY AWARD® Winning Film “Parasite”

A Peaceful, History-Rich Neighborhood in the Hills North of the Palace

A side of Seoul most tourists never see. This 2.5-hour walk moves through Buam-dong, a quiet neighborhood tucked into the hills, mixing nature, art, and history most visitors walk right past. Historical landmarks, real filming locations, and a neighborhood that hasn’t sold out to tell you about it.

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Buam-dong: A Walk Through Seoul’s Quiet Hillside Neighborhood

Most tourists stampede into Myeongdong to buy the same face cream they could’ve picked up at duty free. Meanwhile, Buam-dong quietly sits in the hills, stubbornly authentic. It isn’t plastered on every K-drama itinerary. That’s a good thing. This neighborhood actually has a pulse. You get fortress walls, Cold War scars, poetry, and views that don’t need neon signs to sell themselves.

And yes, part of Parasite was filmed here. Unlike the fake French villages and alpaca petting zoos, Buam-dong doesn’t have to dress up to impress.

What You’ll See

Choi Gyu-sik Memorial Statue, a reminder of the Blue House Raid and Seoul’s Cold War frontline
Cheongun Literature Library, Seoul’s first hanok library with real books, not a fake Instagram prop
Hill of Poet Yoon Dong-ju, a place where Korea’s most beloved poet wrestled with words under colonial censorship
Mountain viewpoints: Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Bukhansan. Three peaks. A skyline. No bus tours in sight
Seoul City Wall and Changuimun Gate, fortifications that still tower over the city
A real Parasite filming location. No gimmicks
Mugyewon, a hanok cultural space once home to a Joseon prince

Details

Duration: 2.5 hours
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 p.m.
Meeting Point: Gyeongbokgung Station Exit 3 (short bus ride into Buam-dong)
Group Size: Maximum 16
Language: English

Why This Experience

Because it isn’t a sales pitch. While others march you through cosmetic shops and cardboard K-pop cutouts, this one gives you a neighborhood that lived through invasions, produced poets, and still hasn’t sold its soul. You’ll leave with stories, not shopping bags.

Highlights

Explore Buam-dong, a quiet neighborhood with real artistic history and real mountain views.
Visit the Choi Gyu-sik Memorial Statue, a site of Cold War significance.
See the Cheongun Literature Library, Seoul’s first Hanok library.
Learn about Korean poetry and literature at the Hill of Poet Yoon Dong-ju.
Visit a real filming location from ‘Parasite’.
Stop at Mugyewon, a cultural space with traditional Hanok architecture.
Optional food and drink add-on: Korean pancakes, noodles, and makgeolli at a traditional restaurant.