Seoul after dark: street food and noraebang

Seoul is a late city. The subway runs until about midnight, but most of the places worth going to are only getting started, and a surprising number never close at all.

Start at Gwangjang Market for bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and raw beef at the stalls that have been there for decades. Move on to Euljiro, where old printing workshops have become bars. Then do what everyone in Seoul does: fried chicken and beer (chimaek), then a noraebang, a private karaoke room rented by the hour.

Where to base yourself

Hongdae is the student and nightlife area, loud and cheap. Itaewon is more international. For somewhere quieter with good food, try Mangwon or Seongsu. A dorm bed costs about ₩25,000.