Hongdae Walking Street — SEVENTEEN's Pre-debut Stage

Before SEVENTEEN debuted as a 13-member group in 2015, several of them — particularly Hoshi, Mingyu, and the performance unit — spent late nights busking on the Hongdae Walking Street, the pedestrianized stretch outside Hongik University. The 'walking street' runs roughly from Exit 9 of Hongik Univ Station to the AK Plaza building, and on any given weekend night you'll still find rookie performers, indie singers, and dance crews working the same patches of pavement where some of K-pop's biggest names started. CARATs (the SEVENTEEN fandom) generally do a loop: start at the main pedestrian intersection in front of Hongdae park (the small triangular plaza where most dance crews set up), walk the main strip with its mainstream-but-trendy fashion and beauty stores, and detour into the side alleys that hide listening bars, indie music venues, and the kinds of small live houses where pre-debut SEVENTEEN members worked. The neighborhood is loud, young, and chaotic in the best way — exactly the energy SEVENTEEN's variety content captures. You can come any time, but Friday or Saturday evening is when the busking is densest — usually 7pm to about 11pm. The crowd skews international student and tourist; pickpocketing is rare but the streets are very full. We'd recommend pairing this with a walk into Yeonnam-dong (one neighborhood over) for a quieter coffee at the end of the night. Closest stations: Hongik Univ (Line 2 / AREX / Gyeongui-Jungang), Exit 9.