Perhaps the most popular Seoul neighborhood for tourists to visit or stay in, Myeongdong at night becomes a bustling street food destination by night and shopping mecca.
From craft beer bars to traditional restaurants like Kyoja, Korean photo booths to Korean souvenir stalls, Myeongdong at night is one of the best things to do in Seoul – and most stores (including the 12 storey Daiso) are open until 10pm.
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Unlike say certain parts of Hongdae or Gangnam, Myeongdong in the evening is also suitable for all ages and a fun, family place to hang out.
From stocking up on K-beauty products to K-Pop shops, here is our guide to the best things to do in Myeongdong at night.
Whilst most shops open until 10pm, a lot of restaurants do close around 8pm or 9pm so after that, check out the Myeongdong Night Market stalls which usually stay open until around 11pm.
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Where to stay in Myeongdong, Seoul
Myeongdong is one of the best Seoul neighborhoods to stay for first time South Korea travellers or return visitors.
The area has great transport links, lots of restaurants day and night and plus enjoyable evening activities like Myeongdong night market. Best of all, there are lots of Myeongdong hotels big and small to suit all budgets.
Weโve written a whole guide to all the best Myeongdong hotels and hostels to suit all budgets here or check out our Myeongdong accommodation shortlist below:
Budget ($)
Hotel 8 Hours
Budget hotel is located a 5 minute walk from Myeongdong subway City Hall station exit. Rooms are compact but modern and hotel facilities include TV, refrigerator, shower booth, hairdryer and free toiletries.ย Check out prices and availability on booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.comย andย trip.com
Mid range ($$)
Sotetsu Fresa Inn Seoul Myeong-dongย
We stayed at this popular chain hotel for 5 nights and really loved the comfortable room and the location was perfect โ right in the heart of Myeongdong.ย Check out prices and availability onย booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Luxury ($$$)
L7 Myeongdong by LOTTE
This trendy 4-star hotel is located right by the subway station and within a few minutes of the shopping areas. Facilities include a rooftop bar which has views of the city and Mount Namsan. Check out prices and availability onย booking.com, agoda.com, expedia.com and trip.com
Read more in our guide to the best hotels and hostels in Myeongdong >
You can also get the Seoul Airport Limousine from Incheon Airport to Myeongdong very easily โ read our guide here >
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Things to do in Seoul Myeongdong at night
1. Myeongdong Night Market / Street Food Market
Each night, Myeongdong Night Market hosts a huge food market that begins from around 3pm until 11pm (although many stalls start to pack up from around 10pm).
Around 400 street food and souvenir traders are in operation at Myeongdong Walking Street Market but generally alternate each night, meaning at any one time, youโll get around 150 to 200 street food stalls to choose from (tip โ arrive hungry and with plenty of cash).
There is so much choice of street food at Myeongdong Walking Street in the evenings – foods available included tarot potatoes, grilled squid, fishcakes, tteokbokki rice cakes and lobster.
In terms of sweet and dessert stalls, some of the most popular stalls at Myeongdong night market included strawberries on a stick coating in a sugar glaze, plus sweet pancakes (the biggest queue always is for a stall called โfancakesโ which we think was essentially a hotteok variant).
Read more in our Myeongdong Night Market in Seoul guide >
2. Relive Squid Game in Myeongdong
Squid Game is still huge in Korea and youโll see lots of Squid Game merchandise on sale in and around Myeongdong including dalgona.
Popularised overseas by its appearance in Netflixโs global streaming hit Squid Game, there are several Myeongdong Night Market stalls that sell the honeycomb biscuit (dalgona) with shapes ready to be carved out by you (if you dare!) for 5,000 Won.
You can also buy Squid Game style dalgona making tools on Amazon >
One of the most common questions recently in our South Korea Travel Tips and Planning Facebook group is where in Seoul is Squid Game merchandise available?
We are happy to say there are several Squid Game stalls at Myeongdong Night Market, selling a variety of merchandise from plushes and figures through to the iconic green player and red guard costumes – plus all stalls sell dalgona candy.
Expect to pay around 35,000 Won for a green tracksuit top complete with player numbers or 20,000 Won for the green and white Squid Game player shirt.
3. Korean Photo Booths
Selfie booths and shops are a super big business in Korea and some stay open 24 hours a day.
A cheap night-time activity, the selfie kiosks are usually brightly painted small shops where you can use all sorts of fun props and then pose for selfies or take photos in booths for a small fee.
Often the photo booths in these selfie booths in Myeongdong allow you to print out stickers as a lasting reminder and a cheap, unique souvenir from Seoul.
Read more in our guide to Korean photo booths >
4. Enjoy Chimaek (โFried Chicken and Beerโ)
Myeongdong has a whole host of chicken and fried beer restaurants dotted in and around the neighbourhood, most of which are open until late.
However, for the best choice of beer and chicken within a short distance and all next door to each, head to the Myeongdong Fried Chicken and Beer street (found on Google maps at Myeongdong 7ga-gil).
Here, you find a neon-lit street chock full (or should that be โchick fullโ?) of the best and most authentic fried chicken and beer restaurants and pubs in Myeongdong. Most have a menu outside on display so you can see prices and what beer / chicken is on offer before going in.
Restaurants include BHC Chicken Myeongdong, Chir Chir Chicken, Daily Beer, Puradak Chicken and Fusion Chicken Factory – quite a lot of chicken and beer to choose from.
5. Late Night K-Pop Shopping
Hello to โHallyuโ! Korean popular music has gone global, with K-Pop groups now worldwide stars – from BTS to Blackpink, Seventeen to Stray Kids, there are dozens of K-Pop groups to enjoy.
If you are visiting Seoul soon and want to buy K-Pop music or merchandise, the highest concentration of Seoul K Pop stores is in Myeongdong.
And the Seoul K-Pop stores in South Korea donโt just sell K-Pop music or books – youโll find all manner of K-Pop merchandise from BTS LEGO through to chocolate bars with your favourite K-Pop bands etched on them (too good to eat?).
From Seoul K-Pop stores in malls to market stalls and shops, here is our guide to the 15 best Seoul K-Pop stores in Myeongdong most of which open until 10pm.
6. Myeongdong Hello Kitty Apple Cafe
If you are visiting Seoul with kids, Hello Kitty Apple Cafe is a good evening activity in Myeongdong at night, open until 10pm every evening.
Ordering is easy via a vending machine kiosk and you are given your beverages and snacks a few minutes later. There is no minimum purchase as such but everyone is asked to buy at least one drink each.
They also have a selection of adorable Hello Kitty shaped cakes and sweet treats which look really good.
The Myeongdong Hello Kitty Apple Cafe is set over 3 levels with seating on level 1 and 2, plus gift shops on level 1 and level 3 (the level 3 gift shop is much bigger).
You might like these Seoul neighbourhood guides:
Dongdaemun
Euljiro
Gangnam
Hannam-dong
Hongdae
Ikseon-dongย
Insadong
Itaewon
Myeong-dong
Seongsu-dong
Sindang
Or check out our best neighbourhoods in Seoul Guide >
7. Olive Young Global Myeongdong
The K-beauty shop Olive Young has become so well known all over the world that many flock to Seoul with empty suitcases just to fill them up with โmiraculousโ moisturiser or blinged body scrubs.
The great news is that most Olive Young Myeongdong shops are open until around 10.30pm so you can stock up on K-beauty items after dark.
In late 2023, Olive Young opened their first Olive Young Global store, specifically aimed at overseas tourists with all their best-selling lines in massive volumes, signs in English, plus multilingual staff and lots of duty-free shopping kiosks.
The best place in Myeongdong for K-beauty products, Olive Young Global has two floors of cosmetics, cleansers and creams and is open daily from 10am to 10.30pm.
You can also purchase Korean beauty brands on Amazon such as Round Lab, Mediheal, Torridenย and Abib.
8. Twelve Storey Daiso in Myeongdong (open until 10pm)
Most people have been to a branch of the famous Japanese discount store Daiso before but did you know a 12 storey Daiso opened in Myeongdong in early 2023 after a major renovation?
Said to be either the tallest Daiso in South Korea, the 12 storey Myeongdong Daiso takes over an entire building with a different theme / range on each floor.
Each of the 12 Daiso stories is themed e.g. one floor is food and drink, one travel and sports etc. Make sure you bring an empty suitcase to take home your Daiso bounty โ skin care products are also really cheap here.
Read more in our guide to the Myeongdong 12 storey Daiso store >
9. Artmonster Myeongdong Craft Beer Pub
The craft beer scene in Seoul at night is legendary and it isnโt just about fried chicken and beer โ well, it kinda is but you can also pair that delicious fried chicken with some craft beer (not just Cass and Terra beer).
Artmonster in Myeongdong is a craft beer bar, situated above a jewellery shop. Artmonster is a Seoul based brewery known for its retro as, vintage styled craft beer bars and have several bars including another in Hongdae and a cool one in Euljiro.
We had a tasting flight of 5 x 220ml beers from their core craft beer selection (around 19,000 Korean Won) so we could get a taste for their craft beers (very good especially the IPAs).
You might like our best craft beer bars and breweries in Seoul guide >
10. Buy socks in Myeongdong at night
Literally every other stall in Myeongdong (ish) sells funky, quirky pop socks or cartoon character socks โ and they are cheap too with cutesy colourful ankle socks starting from 1,500 Won (less than a ยฃ1) a pop.
From Hello Kitty and Doraemon to slightly non legit branded socks like Starbucks or 7-Eleven, this is sock Heaven.
For the best choice of sock shops in Myeongdong, try Myeongdong Underground Mall.
You might like – Our first timerโs guide to Seoul and South Korea including best Korean eSIMs and SIM cards
11. 24 hour shopping in 7-Eleven and CU
There are several 7-Elevens and CU convenience stores dotted around Myeongdong that are all open 24 hours, including a huge 7-Eleven located in the mall below Myeongdong cathedral.
Visiting South Korea, CU Convenience stores will be a popular sight as there are over 17,000 CUs all over Korea โ it is one of the biggest store chains, with even more stores than 7-Eleven Korea.
One of the best CU convenience stores in Seoul happens to be the CU Myeong-dong Station Branch, found on Naver here >
Not only is it one of the best stocked CUs, it has a small ramyeon museum inside (where you can heat and eat oodles of noodles) plus a sublime selection of soju and other Korean alcoholic drinks.
This is also the place where we discovered Korean Banana milk iced latte! You buy the famous Binggrae banana milk (available in five different flavours in this store) then pour it into an iced cup before adding a shot of Espresso from the coffee machine โ so good!
Check out our guide to the best CU convenience store food and drink to buy >
You might also like our Korean convnience store alcohol prices guide >
12. HBAF Stores ๋ฐํ
We were HBAF*-ffled at first by the sheer number of these stores in and around Myeongdong Walking Street, open until late.
Standing for Healthy But Awesome Flavors, HBAF is a food / snacking company that sells all manner of nuts, snacks and coated goodies like honey butter almonds, wasabi almonds, mini caramel salted pretzels โ apparently it is mainly tourists in Myeongdong that buy them to take back home.
The HBAF stores are brightly lit with huge nut like cartoon character malls and rammed to the rafters with colourful food packaging and sachets. And if you have a late night craving for HBAF, they are available in most 24 hour 7-Elevens too.
Check out our guide to HBAF stores and flavoured almonds >
13. Kyoja Restaurants (open until 9.30pm)
Divine dumplings and a beautiful broth is all we can say about Myeongdong Kyoja restaurant โ one sup and we were hooked.
We first discovered Myeongdong Kyoja purely by chance when we saw a HUGE queue snaking down one of Myeongdongโs side streets โ these people clearly were onto something good so we decided to come back another day and try their dishes for ourselves.
Why is it so popular? Perhaps it is because they only offer four dishes? Maybe it is because it is pretty cheap? Or possibly it is the robot waiters that bring the food to your table (often with the help of waiting staff).
Read our full guide to Kyoja restaurants >
14. Yoogane Chicken Galbi (open until 11pm)
If you want something open a little later than Kyoja and donโt fancy fried chicken, another popular Myeongdong chain restaurant option is Yoogane, which has several branches in this area and hundreds across South Korea.
In fact, Yoogane is Koreaโs number 1 chicken galbi restaurant (and also quite cheap and cheerful) starting in 1981 and now operating over 300 restaurants.
Chicken galbi / dakgalbi is a spicy chicken dish which is made with gochujang and various other ingredients you can choose from.
Cooked in a massive hot plate in the centre of your table, staff will often help you cook it (and keep you refreshed with ice cold beer). Yoogane is a fun meal to enjoy in Myeongdong at night (or anywhere in Seoul really).
15. Customizable shops and market stalls
One of the current crazes in South Korea is for customizable shops where you can create your own keyrings or bags using embroidery, stickers, beads and more. Most of these stores stay open until 10pm daily.
Choose what you want to be customised then select your extra items before having them attached or ironed on in next to no time โ a very cool and unique gift to take home or enjoy yourself.
One of the biggest customizable shops in Myeongdong is Wappen House, but there are also several smaller customizable workshops and market stalls dotted all around so there are plenty of DIY (design it yourself) opportunities in Myeongdong.
Read more in our guide to Wappen House and other customizable stores in Korea >
16. Myeongdong NANTA Theatre
Myeongdong NANTA Theatre is located on the third floor of the UNESCO building along Myeongdong Walking Street and is known for its comedy cooking shows which are performed several times a day, seven days a week.
Possibly the best known Korean theater show, the NANTA cooking show has been performed over 50,000 times in over 60 countries.
This 90 minute high energy performance is the tale of 3 highly skilled chefs and a new rookie, fighting with a kitchen manager whilst trying to simultaneously prepare a sumptuous meal for a big wedding banquet; the whole experience unfurls in real time.
NANTA Theatre is a mix of slapstick and physical comedy โ very few spoken words used throughout so not understanding Korean (or English) wonโt be an issue and has a 8pm performance most nights.
Book your Myeongdong Nanta theater show ticket >
17. Catโs Playground & Roof Me โ Myeongdong Cat cafes
Fur real. A โpurrfectโ way to spend an evening, Catโs Playground is open until 11pm every evening whilst Roof Me Cat Cafe is Myeongdongโs newest kitty cat attraction and open until 10pm
Promising over 50 cute kitties (although many will likely be taking a cat nap when you visit), the Catโs Playground is hidden on the second floor of a small side street building.
The Catโs Playground in Myeongdong costs around 13,000 Won to enter which includes a drink and access to the cats.
Note that the cat food is an additional cost and is around 2,000 Won. Roof Me Cat cafe in Myeongdong is bigger and costs 20,000 Won entry.
Our final thing to do in Myeongdong at night
18. See a Movie at CGV Myeongdong
OK, we are saying you should go all the way to Seoul just to watch a movie BUT if you fancy a night off from sightseeing (or it is raining in Seoul), you could see an evening movie at the CGV Myeongdong in Noon Square Mall.
Most of the biggest movie theatres in Seoul can be found at shopping malls and Myeongdong is no different – CGV Myeongdong usually starts early in the morning and finishes late at night.
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