by Marion KDL

I can’t believe we’ve already completed our first year navigating through K-Dramaland’s places and sites and pinning them down on an ever-growing map (729 to date!).

It was very rewarding to see listing after listing being put up and new dramas being added to already existing locations. More than anything, it was a lot of fun! I hope you enjoyed this journey so far as much as I did.

To get a hold of all the discovered places and also to review this year, Mich and I sat down and made a list of the most show-cased places in K-Dramaland in 2017. We also put together the most seen neighborhoods. There was so much to say about every place that we had to split it up in Part 1 and Part 2. Chelle, deanekitty29 and ruffeecola finally joined us to discussed our favorite spots and scenes.

As you’ll see, the first site-sightings of 2018 are very promising with fantastic new locations and neighborhoods to discover and an abundance of re-used places. So let’s head forward discovering the undiscovered.

Many thanks to everyone who took part in this journey so far (and made it so much fun!) and already a warm welcome to anyone who’ll join us on our way!

Thank you for stopping by, leaving a comment, sharing a filming location, adding directions, sending in photos from your visits, talking about KDL to others and leaving kind emails in our inbox. This awesomeness is our fuel to keep us going 🙂

So let’s kick off another year in Korean Dramaland…
… with our first Saturday Summary!

OUR HIGHLIGHTS

If you love discovering new places on your screen as much as I do, you might want to check out Oil Tank Culture Park [마포문화비축기지], a closed-down oil depot for petroleum that was transformed into a cultural complex and just opened in autumn 2017.
Many thanks to Janine Anne Holt for sharing this.

Ruffeecola made me attentive to Ikseon-dong Hanok Village; where the Seoul Neighborhood Project in Black Knight takes place. This neighborhood has tremendously changed in recent years with hip and artist cafés and galleries coming in.

It is very fitting that this neighborhood is at the center of Soo-ho’s fight against gentrification and I’m already curious to discover the changes on my next visit there and also see if our Black Knight had some influence on Seoul’s urban development.

KISS, KISS, KISS

Is it because we delayed the Saturday Summary for a week or because it was end of the old and beginning of the new year? This is definitely our Saturday Summary kiss record.

Also, take a look at those nice places everyone has chosen.

Look at Min-Kyu and Ji-ah/Aji3 at Gyeongui Line Forest Park [경의선숲길공원 / 경의선공원]:

Ye-Ri and Eun-Ho at Yolgok-ro 3-gil [율곡로3길]:

Chi-won and Yun-i at Stairs to Namsan Tower:

Ji-An and Dong-Tak at Seoul Fortress Wall (Namsan/Mokmyeoksan section):

OUR FAVORITE STAPLES

Famous since 2005’s My Name is Kim Sam-soon, these stairs regularly appear in K-Dramaland — and especially in romantic moments, latest in Jugglers‘ kiss scene; many thanks Mich for adding this moment!

Photo taken by © Mich</span style>

NEWLY ADDED FILMING LOCATIONS

Hwayuki/A Korean Odyssey (2017-18)
— Heaven’s HQ on Earth: Oil Tank Culture Park [마포문화비축기지], ♡ submitted by Janine Anne Holt
— Coming for a drink without drinking, E1: Miss Yoon In Wonderland [이상한 나라의 미쓰윤]
— Chasing out a ghost, E1: Pyeongchang-dong Mansion No. 489-10
— Landing on Earth, E1-2: Incheon Sorae Ecology Park [소래습지생태공원]
— The possessed marionette, E2: Antique Story [엔틱스토리]
— A short appearance, E2: CJ E&M Center [CJ E&M센터]
— Going on a date, E2: Everland [에버랜드]
— A flying umbrella, E2: Walkabout Bar [워커바웃], ♡ submitted by deanekitty29

Two Cops (2017-18)
— Meeting a fortune teller, E1: House Ihwa Mural Village
— Chasing the motorbike gang, E6: Deurim Tower [드림타워]
— Meeting a fortune teller, E8: House Ihwa Mural Village
— Berating oneself, E10: Shoe Shop Spür
— Negotiating with a conman, E11: Bukchon-ro 5ga-gil [북촌로5가길]
— Talking it out, E13: 57th Cafe Gallery [57th카페]
— A place of a crime scene, E14: Ho-rang and Won-seok’s Rooftop House [호랑과 원석의 옥탑방]
— Saying goodbye to a best friend, E20: Yangpyeong Dumulmeori Park [양평 두물머리]

Jugglers (2017-18)
— Jwa Yun-i’s House, ♡ submitted by Mich
— Happily dating, E1: Green Cloud Coffee Shop [그린클라우드커피] 
— Appointments at a hotel, E1 & E7: Le Meridien Seoul [르 메르디앙 서울], ♡ submitted by Mich
— Introduction and broken trust, E1, E8: Dongjak Bridge [동작대교], ♡ submitted by Mich
— The kiss, E8: Stairs to Namsan Tower [삼순이 계단], ♡ submitted by Mich
— In the background, E1: Humanist [휴머니스트]

I’m Not A Robot (2017-18)
— Kim Min-Kyu’s house: Bear Tree Park [베어트리파크]
— Being grumpy, E1: Bamsom Park [밤섬공원], ♡ submitted by Toni
— Looking into funding options, E10: Gallery White Block [화이트블럭]
— Going on a date, E9, E12: Gyeongui Line Forest Park [경의선숲길공원 / 경의선공원]
— Learning to kiss, E12: The Garden of Morning Calm [아침고요수목원], ♡ submitted by ruffeecola
— Coming for a drink, E13 and proposing E16: A.Y Lounge Bar [에이와이 라운지]
— Understanding a break-up, E16: Luka 511 [루카511]
— Discovering a book, E19-20: Forest of Wisdom [지혜의숲] — Library, ♡ submitted by deanekitty29
— A change of air, E20: Seoul Station [서울역]
— A near meeting with an informant, E20: Coffeesmith — Hongdae Branch [커피 스미스 홍대점]

Black Knight (2017-18)
— Soo-Ho’s castle in Slovenia: Otočec Castle
— Passing by on the way to Sharon Taylor: Myeong-dong Cathedral [명동대성당], ♡ submitted by ruffeecola
— Meeting again as adults, E1-2: Butchers’ Bridge [Mesarski most]
— Planning a project, E3: Gyedong-gil [계동길]
— Seoul Neighborhood Project #1, E3: Donhwamun-ro 11da-gil [돈화문로11다길 40]
— Seoul Neighborhood Project #2, E3: Turtle Supermarket [거북이슈퍼]
— Confessing in 1975, E5: Hakrim Dabang [학림다방], ♡ submitted by ruffeecola
— An uncomfortable meeting, E6: Top Cloud [탑클라우드]
— Drowning oneself, E6: Buyongdae Cliff [부용대]
— Working out outside, E7: Eungbong Mountain Park [응봉산 팔각정]
— Getting drunk in a pojangmacha and being nearly killed, E6-7: YTN Building

Nothing to Lose/Judge vs Judge (2017-18)
— Meeting over dinner, E7: Asosan [아소산 본점]
— Meeting over lunch, E7:Miss Yoon In Wonderland [이상한 나라의 미쓰윤]

My Golden Life
— Spending an afternoon together, E32: Sungnyemun Gate/Namdaemun Gate [숭례문/남대문]

Drama Stage (2017-18)
— Being lovesick, E2: Gyeongui Line Forest Park [경의선숲길공원 / 경의선공원]

Drama Special – If We Were A Season (2017)
— The final scene: Haman Station [함안역], ♡ submitted by Mich

Because This Is My First Life (2017)
— Eating out with colleagues, E1: Wooh Ahh [우아 여의도점] — Yeouido Branch
— Ho-rang and Won-seok’s Rooftop House [호랑과 원석의 옥탑방]
— Waiting for a date, E14: Water Light Culture Park [물빛문화공원]
— No compromise, E14: colline [콜린]

Black (2017)
— A place to die, E18: The Garden of Morning Calm [아침고요수목원], ♡ submitted by deankitty29

Mad Dog (2017)
— Making peace, E8: Wooh Ahh [우아 여의도점] — Yeouido Branch

Avengers Social Club (2017)
— Drinking a coffee, E1: Fiore Yoon [피오레윤 그라데이션]

Strongest Deliveryman (2017)
—Meeting in front of a mart, E4: Woori Dongne Super [우리동네슈퍼]

Fight For My Way (2017)
— Making a heart flutter, E7-8: Deurim Tower [드림타워]

Meloholic (2017)
— Saying goodbye to a love, E3: Haslla Art World [하슬라아트월드], ♡ submitted by Riseu

Hwarang (2016-17)
— Part of the palace: Ondal Tourist Park [온달관광지], ♡ submitted by deankitty29

Moon Lovers (2016)
— Part of the palace: Ondal Tourist Park [온달관광지]

Another Miss Oh (2016)
— A heart-to-heart talk with a friends, E15: Sintong Chicken (Bundang Migeum branch) [신통치킨 미금점], ♡ submitted by Chelle

La Dolce Vita (2008)
— Being reminded of Joon-soo, E24: Marronnier Park [마로니에공원]
— Visiting with tourists, E24: Stairs to Namsan Tower [삼순이 계단]
— Thinking of Joon-soo, E24: Namsan Park Fountain [남산공원분수대]