Many travelers come to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, to experience the slick K-pop scene, which is steadily gaining fans all over the world. However, contrary to common belief, the most offbeat pop culture attractions are not found in the hip neighborhood of Gangnam, which was made famous in Psy's 2012 hit song "Gangnam Style."
According to local YouTube stars Eat Your Kimchi, Hongdae is the best place to see young, indie culture.
I recently visited Seoul, where I discovered cool K-pop fashion boutiques and bizarre theme restaurants — including a Hello Kitty cafe, Zombie coffee shop, and robot bar.
Itaewon, home to colorful street art and the Samsung Leeum museum, is another district worth exploring. I was in awe of Dongdaemun's design plaza, which looks like a silver spaceship. In Myeongdong, I found K-idol makeup and dog-petting cafes.
Click here to see Seoul's K-pop culture >
La Carmina is a travel blogger and TV host, specializing in Asia pop culture. See more of her Seoul recommendations on her blog.
I visited Simon and Martina, creators of Eat Your Kimchi. They're known for their YouTube videos about K-pop music and life in Seoul.
Eat Your Kimchi's studio reflects their love of cute-meets-weird Korean pop culture.
They told me the young, alternative scene is centered in Hongdae. On a graffiti street near the subway station, I encountered this naughty robot.
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