K-Pop Demon Hunters Filming Locations: A Seoul Pilgrimage Guide
Walk in HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys' footsteps across 10 real Seoul and Jeju filming locations from Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters β with exact addresses, subway exits, and tips for your 2026 visit.
Why Every K-Pop Fan Needs to Visit Seoul Right Now
If you've spent the past year with "Golden" or "Soda Pop" on repeat, you're not alone. K-Pop Demon Hunters β the Sony Pictures Animation film released on Netflix on June 20, 2025 β became the streamer's most-watched original title of all time with over 325 million views by year's end. Its soundtrack put four songs simultaneously in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, and the sing-along version was the first Netflix film to top the U.S. box office. The film's art team built their animated Seoul from real satellite data and on-location photography, which means almost every glittering skyline and moonlit hanok rooftop in the movie is a place you can actually stand on.
This guide maps out the 10 real filming locations in Seoul and Jeju, with addresses, subway exits, and practical tips for visiting them in 2026. Whether you're planning a full μΌλ°ν νκ²½ (Kedeheon Palgyoeng) pilgrimage or just want to grab a Korean hot dog in the same plaza where the Saja Boys performed "Soda Pop," here's everything you need.
1. Gyeongbokgung Palace β Where the Demon-Hunting Begins
Address: 161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Gyeongbokgung (Line 3, Exit 5) or Gwanghwamun (Line 5)
Built in 1395 as the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung is where Rumi first receives her demon-hunting powers. The film also uses it as the visual anchor for Jinu's 400-year-old backstory: after selling his soul to Gwi-Ma, his singing caught the attention of the Joseon royal court, which invited his family to live on the palace grounds.
Don't miss the Changing of the Royal Guard ceremony at Gwanghwamun Gate (10:00 and 14:00 daily, except Tuesdays when the palace is closed). Renting a hanbok from one of the rental shops near Exit 5 grants you free admission β and the photos end up looking like a still from the film. Allow 2β3 hours to tour the throne hall, the National Palace Museum, and the National Folk Museum, both housed on the grounds.
2. Bukchon Hanok Village β Rumi and Jinu's First Meeting
Address: 37 Gyedong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Anguk (Line 3, Exit 2)
The tiled hanok rooftops you see when Rumi and Jinu first meet in private were modeled on the 600-year-old houses of Bukchon Hanok Village, sitting between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces. The art director confirmed it openly as a key inspiration. The narrow alleyways look especially cinematic in the early morning before tour buses arrive β golden hour through the clay roof tiles is the moment that made fans flood Instagram with screenshots.
Pair your visit with Changdeokgung Palace's Secret Garden (β©5,000, guided tours only) just down the hill. Stop for a traditional tea at one of the hanok cafΓ©s on Buckchon Hanok Maru-gil for a view almost identical to the film's. Please respect residents β Bukchon is a living neighborhood, so keep voices low and stay on designated walking paths.
3. Naksan Park & the Seoul City Wall β The "Free" Duet
Address: 41 Naksan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Hyehwa (Line 4, Exit 2)
Just north of Bukchon, the path along the Seoul City Wall (Hanyangdoseong) at Naksan Park is the stage for Rumi and Jinu's emotional duet of "Free." Built in 1396 to defend Hanyang (old Seoul), the 18.6 km fortress wall is now a public walking trail, and the elevated stone tiers behind the couple are unmistakable.
The best route starts at Hyehwa Station (Line 4), climbs up to Naksan Park, then descends through Ihwa Mural Village, where painted murals brighten the hillside. Sunrise and sunset are the magic hours β the wall glows amber, and you'll understand why the animators used it as the romantic backdrop. Budget 2 hours round-trip including the mural village.
4. Myeongdong β The "Soda Pop" Performance Street
Address: Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Myeongdong (Line 4) or Euljiro 1-ga (Line 2)
The circular tiled plaza outside Myeongdong Theater is where the Saja Boys debut "Soda Pop" and the world officially loses its mind. The plaza's geometric paving pattern is rendered almost frame-for-frame in the film. Myeongdong is Seoul's most-visited neighborhood by foreign travelers, packed with K-beauty shops, street food stalls, and the historic Myeongdong Cathedral just one block north.
The visual effects team leaned into "modern Seoul, with straight lines and modern materials like steel and concrete and plastics," and you can feel that aesthetic on every block. Don't miss the Korea Mart right next to Myeongdong Station, which had a K-Pop Demon Hunters cardboard cutout photo zone in late 2025. The street food alley is open until midnight β try tornado potato, hotteok, and tteokbokki while humming "Soda Pop" the way the Saja Boys would want.
5. N Seoul Tower β The Climax on Mount Nam
Address: 105 Namsan Park-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Take Bus 01A/01B or the Namsan Cable Car from Myeongdong
The final battle β HUNTR/X singing "What It Sounds Like" while sealing the Honmoon β unfolds at the base of N Seoul Tower. The film invents a fictional concert stadium at the tower's foot for the Saja Boys' "Your Idol" performance; in real life, the base of the tower is a leafy, tree-lined park with a traditional jeongja (Korean pavilion) and panoramic city views. The art director's team got fast-tracked copyright approval to use the tower in the film, which kept them from substituting a generic skyscraper.
Take the Namsan Cable Car up for the most cinematic arrival. The Seoul Sky Observatory on the 5th floor of the tower's upper structure gives you 360Β° views of the whole city. Lock a love padlock on the terrace fence the way the couples do in K-dramas, and grab dinner at the 360Β° rotating restaurant for the full fan experience. Note: the actual filming location is the surrounding Namsan Park, not the tower's interior β admission to the tower is optional.
6. COEX K-Pop Square β Where "Golden" Drops
Address: 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Samseong (Line 2, Exit 5 or 6)
The massive curved LED billboard in COEX K-Pop Square is where HUNTR/X's new single "Golden" gets revealed to the public in the film. The real billboard is the size of four basketball courts and rotates between 3D wave visuals, K-pop music videos, and movie promos. It draws thousands of visitors daily, and yes β you can stand on the second-floor Sky Bridge and take the exact same video the animators referenced.
The COEX complex also includes the Starfield Library (a 13-meter-tall open-bookshelf atrium, free entry) and the COEX Mall, one of Seoul's largest underground shopping centers. Drop by on a weekday evening to see the billboard at its most cinematic, when commuters stream past and the screen flips to full K-pop mode.
7. Lotte World Tower β HUNTR/X's Fictional Headquarters
Address: 300 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Jamsil (Line 2 or 8, Exit 1 or 2)
At 123 stories and 555 meters, Lotte World Tower is South Korea's tallest building and the real-life inspiration for the gleaming penthouse HUNTR/X calls home. The film's environmental art director placed the fictional tower exactly where Lotte World Tower stands on the real Seoul map β the building is unmistakable in any skyline shot of the movie.
Ride the Seoul Sky Observatory on floors 117β123. The double-decker elevator has a glass ceiling that builds anticipation as you ascend, and the observatory's Sky Deck has a transparent glass floor section you can walk on. Time your visit for sunset to see the entire Seoul basin light up β and yes, you can see N Seoul Tower on Mount Namsan from here, recreating the film's climactic city view in one frame.
8. Cheongdam Bridge β The Subway Battle ("Takedown")
Address: Cheongdam Bridge (over the Han River) Β· Nearest station: Cheongdam (Line 7) or Jayang (Line 7)
One of the film's most thrilling sequences happens on top of a speeding subway train crossing the Han River. The real Cheongdam Bridge is a double-decker structure β Seoul Metro Line 7 runs along the lower level while cars stream across the upper deck β and that distinctive silhouette is exactly what animators used for the "Takedown" battle scene.
The action continues on foot at nearby Ttukseom Hangang Park (Line 7, Jayang Station), where HUNTR/X dejectedly gets off the train. The park is a Seoul favorite for riverside picnics, and in September 2025 it hosted a 1,200-drone show themed on K-Pop Demon Hunters with performances on Sept. 13, 20, 26 and Oct. 18. If you visit in late summer or early autumn, check the Korea Tourism Organization's event calendar for similar drone shows in 2026.
9. Seoul Olympic Stadium β HUNTR/X's Debut
Address: 25 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul Β· Nearest station: Olympic Park Station (Line 5) or Jamsil (Line 2)
The opening scene β Rumi, Mira, and Zoey parachuting from a burning plane into a sold-out stadium to perform "How It's Done" β was modeled on the Seoul Olympic Stadium (Jamsil Olympic Stadium), built for the 1988 Summer Olympics. The film also returns here for the Idol Awards later in the story.
The real stadium has hosted concerts by BTS, BLACKPINK, EXO, Lady Gaga, and Bruno Mars. Even on quiet days with no events, fans linger at the gates taking photos and imagining the spectacle. Just outside is Olympic Park, a sprawling green space with sculpture gardens and a calm lake. The nearby KSPO Dome is one of Korea's largest indoor concert venues and a working pilgrimage site for K-pop fans year-round β check the schedule before you go.
10. Jeju Folk Village Seonangdang β The Sacred Tree
Address: 631-34 Minsokhaean-ro, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo, Jeju Β· Nearest access: Jeju Intercity Bus to Seogwipo, then local bus
The enormous sacred tree that appears whenever Celine β Rumi's adoptive mother and former hunter β is on screen is the Seonangdang at Jeju Folk Village. In Jeju's shamanic tradition, the seonang is a guardian spirit shrine where villagers tie cloth strips to the great tree to pray for blessings. The animators heightened this mystical element with glowing branches and swirling winds, but the location itself is a real, accessible cultural site.
Jeju is a 1-hour flight from Seoul (β©50,000β90,000 one-way) or a direct KTX-style high-speed ferry option if you're already on the southern coast. Plan a full day for the Folk Village, then add Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), Manjanggul Cave, and a hallabong citrus tasting for the complete Jeju experience. The island is the perfect add-on if you're recreating the film's geographic scope.
Planning Your K-Pop Demon Hunters Pilgrimage
Most of the Seoul locations cluster into a tight 2-day loop. Day 1 β Jongno / Old Seoul: Gyeongbokgung (9:00 sharp to catch the guard ceremony) β walk to Bukchon β lunch in Insadong β Naksan Park in late afternoon β sunset at N Seoul Tower. Day 2 β Modern Seoul: Myeongdong in the morning for "Soda Pop" energy β COEX and Lotte World Tower in Gangnam β Jamsil Olympic Stadium area β finish at Ttukseom Hangang Park for the river lights. Add Jeju as a 2-night extension if you have a week.
Getting Around
Subway is the only sensible way to hit all 10 sites β Seoul traffic is brutal. Get a T-money card at any convenience store (β©2,500 deposit, top up as needed) and you'll tap through gates and buses. Kakao T is the local ride-hailing app and accepts foreign credit cards. From the airport, AREX (Airport Railroad Express) gets you to Seoul Station in 43 minutes for just under β©10,000.
Where to Stay
For maximum convenience, base yourself in Jongno or Myeongdong β you're within 30 minutes of seven of the ten locations on foot or by subway. Insadong is ideal if you want a hanok guesthouse experience within walking distance of Bukchon and Gyeongbokgung. For K-pop energy at night, Hongdae puts you near the noraebang (karaoke) scene to belt out the soundtrack yourself.
What to Bring Home
The film's soundtrack is officially available on all streaming platforms β the score is the first film soundtrack to place four songs simultaneously in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten. Pick up a physical CD at any Kyobo Book Centre or Hottracks for a more collectible souvenir. Olive Young in Myeongdong often stocks limited K-Pop Demon Hunters branded sheet masks and hand cream; the K-beauty street is two blocks off the main "Soda Pop" plaza. And of course, a Korean hot dog (β©2,000β3,500) eaten in the same plaza where the Saja Boys performed is a perfectly cinematic lunch.
Whether you came for the music, the romance, or just the rooftop scenes of Seoul, the city is ready to welcome you. The Honmoon is golden β go see it for yourself.