Interior

Sa Hye-joon (Park Bo-gum) and An Jeong-ha (Park So-dam) meet at the Starfield Library [별마당 도서관] of this venue in episode 3 of Record of Youth/The Moment/Youth Record (청춘기록) (tvN, 2020) and Hye-joon explains that this is one of the places one of the places he visits when he feels sad and down. Afterwards, both decide to sit down at Billy Angel Cake Company — Samsung COEX Mall Branch [빌리엔젤 삼성코엑스몰점] (appearing as ‘Be WHITE Dessert’) at this mall for a drink (with some slight Secret Garden feels). Hye-joon is back here in episode 7 and also in episode 8 to study for a role.

This mall appears as the convention hall at which Park Gae-in (Son Ye-jin) launches her furniture line ‘Kae-in Story’ at an expo in episode 1 of Personal Taste/Personal Preference (개인의 취향) (MBC, 2010). At the same time, the bidding among architectural firms for a contract to build the ‘Dream Art Center’ takes place at this convention hall, where Jeon Jin-ho (Lee Min-ho) and Han Chang-ryeol (Kim Ji-suk) are each bidders with their firm. When Chang-ryeol and Gae-in meet for up for a moment (SPOILER: he wants to break up and she thinks he will propose), Jin-ho interrupts them when he attacks Chang-ryeol for having used underhand methods to win the bid.

Exterior

Lee Eun-oh (Kim Ji-won) walks past this building in episode 1 of Lovestruck in the City (도시남녀의 사랑법) — Series 1: City Couple’s Way of Love (KakaoTV/Netflix, 2020-21).

The exterior of this building is seen as the venue at which the ‘2020 61st Trade Day’ of the Korea International Trade Association takes place in episode 2 (full episode 1) of Kkondae Intern/Old School Intern (꼰대인턴) (MBC, 2020) and Ka Yeol-chan (Park Hae-jin), General Manager of Joonsoo Food, receives an award.

The exterior of this building was shown as the place where Han Se-gye (Seo Hyun-jin) and Seo Do-jae (Lee Min-ki) comes to watch a film in episode 4 of The Beauty Inside / Byooti Insaideu (뷰티 인사이드) (JTBC, 2018).

Park Joon-pil (Shin Ha-kyun) and Oh Soon-jung (Han Ji-min) agree to meet up for a date in front of this venue in episode 3 of A Good Person/A Good Man (Joheun Saram/좋은 사람) (MBC, 2003). But he waits in vain for her.

Intercontinental Seoul COEX [인터컨티넨탈 서울코엑스]

Oh Soo-jae (Seo Hyun-jin) is supposed to meet TK Law Firm chairman Choi Tae-kook (Huh Joon-ho) at the Flute Room (플루토룸) of the Italian restaurant Sky Lounge (스카이라운지) located on the top floor (30F) of this hotel in episode 5 of Why Her/Why Oh Soo-jae (Wae Osujaeinga/왜 오수재인가) (SBS, 2022). But, in fact, Han Ki-taek (Jeon Jae-hong) awaits her here to threaten her; but she is unimpressed.

Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jong) meets Kang Tae-mu (Ahn Hyo-seop) at the Sky Lounge restaurant of this hotel in episode 6 of Business Proposal/A Business Proposal/Sanaematsun (사내맞선) (SBS/Netflix, 2022), where he planned to confess his feelings for her, but unfortunately things don’t go as planned.

Lee Min-Chul (Lee Byung-Hun), Kim Yun-Soo (Choi Ji-Woo) and Lee Min-Ji (Shin Min-A) come here to celebrate her first ‘paycheck’ (money that she’s earned by drawing in a mall; organized by Yun-soo) in episode 6 of Beautiful Days (아름다운 날들) (SBS, 2001). As suggested by Yun-soo, Min-ji offers Min-chul pinkish-red underwear — as this is the usual gift children give to her parents bought with their first paycheck.

Megabox Boutique M [매가박스부티크엠]

Kang Tae-mu (Ahn Hyo-seop) brings Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jong) to this cinema theater in episode 6 of Business Proposal/A Business Proposal/Sanaematsun (사내맞선) (SBS/Netflix, 2022), on the pretext of doing “research” for a new product. Ha-ri runs into her managers Yeo Ui-joo (Kim Hyun-sook) and Kevin Gye (Lim Ki-hong) and tries to avoid being spotted by them with Tae-mu.

Also located at COEX

— Asem Tower [아셈타워]
— COEX Aquarium [코엑스 아쿠아리움]
— COEX Artium [코엑스아티움]
— Matsugaze Japanese Restaurant (3F, Oakwood Premier COEX)

Movie filmed here

— New Year Blues (새해전야) (2021)

COEX [코엑스] — a portmanteu of ‘Conventions [and] Exhibitions’ — functions as a convention center with multiple exhibition halls and meeting spaces. It was first opened in 1986 as ‘KOEX Exhibition Center’, and was rebranded as COEX in 1998. COEX is located on Yeongdong-daero [영동대로] in Seoul’s neighborhood Samseong [Samseong-dong/삼성동] in the Gangnam District [Gangnam-gu/강남구].

The complex has 14 facilities and services under its COEX MICE Cluster (CMC), which includes department stores, hotels, a casino and a cinema. Starfield COEX Mall, considered to be the “largest underground mall” in Asia, is especially well known for its beautiful, Instagram-worthy Starfield Library [별마당 도서관]. The library was designed by Junglim Architects & Engineers (대한민국 정림건축 종합건축사사무소).

Megabox Boutique M [매가박스부티크엠] is a luxury movie theater that prides itself with its “meticulous service and high-quality goods“, even offering patrons a welcome package and room service prior to the movie starting.

The Intercontinental Seoul COEX is featured as a recommended hotel in the 2022 Forbes Travel Guide.

In 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism —announced through the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO)— selected COEX as one of the ‘100 Must-Visit Spots in Korea’ for 2021-2022. This building is also one of the 380 traditional and modern-contemporary buildings in Seoul that were selected for the The Seoul Architectural Guide (2013, page 112-13).

Official Address
513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 강남구 영동대로 513
(삼성동 159)
Geolocation: 37.512619, 127.058776
Geolocation Lovestruck: 37.511572, 127.061287

MegaBox [메가박스 코엑스점]
B1F, 524 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 강남구 봉은사로 524 코엑스몰 지하1층
(삼성동 159)
Geolocation: 37.512925, 127.058207

Intercontinental Seoul COEX
524 Bongeunsa-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 강남구 봉은사로 524
(삼성동 159)
Geolocation: 37.512846, 127.057507

Billy Angel Cake Company – Samsung COEX Mall Branch [빌리엔젤 삼성코엑스몰점]
513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Central Plaza No. B003 (F1)
서울특별시 강남구 영동대로 513 1층 센트럴 플라자 B003호
(삼성동 159)

Getting here
▶ Samseong Station [삼성역], Seoul Subway Line 2, Exit 5/6
(direct access to Millennium Plaza, which is the South side of the complex)
▶ Bongeunsa Station [봉은사역], Seoul Subway Line 9, Exit 7
(direct access to Asem Plaza, which is the East side of the complex)

— submitted by Mich & Marion KDL; last updated 19/02/2023