About
Hi from Seoul
How it started
We started in 2025 as an Instagram channel (@dealseoul). Friends visiting Seoul kept asking the same things: where to eat in Hongdae, which Gangnam street is worth the trip, what to do when it rains. We got tired of typing the same answers into DMs.
So we built this: the Seoul guide we wished existed when we travel ourselves. Short, opinionated, and tied to the subway map you're already squinting at.
Who makes it
DealSeoul is edited by Young Cho, founder of Deal Labs (LinkedIn). Born and raised in Seoul for 20 years, then two decades in the United States and Canada through middle school, high school, and university, and worked as a pilot in both countries.
That split life is the whole point of DealSeoul: a Seoul native's read on the city, written for the foreign visitor who needs it explained plainly. Every pick is checked against one question: would this actually help someone who just landed?
A few honest things
We curate
Every district has a handful of picks, not sixty. We'd rather miss a great spot than dump a list on you.
We update
Pop-ups checked weekly, and every venue's business license is cross-checked against the Seoul business registry weekly, so closed places come down within days. Guide pages carry a last-updated date at the bottom.
We're free
Some pop-ups and brand drops are partner placements; those are always clearly marked. Nothing is hidden.
We're small
If something looks off (a closed shop, a wrong walk-time), please tell us. We'll fix it the same week.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles from OpenFreeMap and Protomaps, rendered with MapLibre GL.
Made in Seoul · Last updated August 2026
