Young musicians put on a performance to connect with the public. Without flashy lighting or eye-catching stage production, the street concert full of youthful energy nonetheless succeeds in getting people’s attention.

Where can you check out the city’s hottest indie music bands? Around Hongdae, of course. Hongdae, short for Hongik University, nowadays refers to the trendy neighborhood surrounding the school campus. Located in Mapo District in western Seoul, the Hongdae neighborhood is a magnet for anyone seeking public exposure. You don’t have to be a musician to take advantage of the young, artsy crowd that frequents the area. Anyone with a talent, be it a dancer, an artist, a writer, or a public performer, can have the public as an audience. It is not surprising that the streets around Hongdae are always filled energy.

- I’m watching an indie band performance. Idol groups these days all sound alike, but these indie bands write their own songs and sing about what interests us in real life. So I like their sincere music. And since this is a park, anyone can listen to the music. It’s great to see that music can bring all these strangers together in an instant.
- I like the liveliness. I can respond and sing with them and watch the musicians up close. I like the fact that I can even talk to them backstage after the concert.

Hongdae is basically a college neighborhood, but it’s one of the trendiest places in Seoul. In arts and culture Hongdae is definitely at the forefront. The entire area is synonymous with freedom, passion, youth, romance, vivacity, and fun. This would be a great place to recharge ourselves.

Hongik University can be accessed from its namesake station, Hongdae Station, of subway line 2. As soon as you emerge from its exit, you will be enveloped in Hongdae culture. Unique shops lining the streets, interesting cafes and clubs hidden in the nooks and crannies, and vibrant street vendors make the ten-minute walk from the subway station to the Hongik University entrance an exciting adventure. The neighborhood is a great place to just walk around and take in the sights, but if you have only one day to spare and want to experience as much as you possibly can, choose a Saturday to come to Hongdae, because on Saturday afternoons an unusual market appears at Children’s Park in front of the university. Here’s travel writer Lee Dong-mi to explain more.

People often mistake the event as a flea market, but it’s actually a free market, meaning that people are free to do anything. It may look like a flea market, but while a flea market sells used goods, Hongdae Free Market sells hand-made artsy stuff. It’s more like an art market than a flea market. You can see many handicraft items that you can’t see in ordinary stores or online shops. These are 100% handmade and none of them looks exactly alike. So you can get one-of-a-kind stuff here.

The Free Market is held every Saturday from one to six o’clock at the playground in front of Hongik University. Tents are erected, tables are unfolded, and merchants stake their locations to spread out their goods. Some 100 different merchants showcase their stuff on the pavement, from small accessories to rather bulky sculptures.

Most of the items sold at the Hongdae Free Market are accessories and interior items. But they are quite different from the ones sold at ordinary stores, for they are all made by artists. Designs stand out just like their creators and most of them can be made right there at customer request.

It was back in June 2002 when the rich and colorful Hongdae Free Market first opened. It began as a cultural event for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but in nearly a decade it has grown to be an indispensable part of the Hongdae charm. Here’s Ms. Lee Seul from the market operating team.

People of all ages come here. Usually the younger generation comes to Hongdae to enjoy its clubs, restaurants, cafes, and nightlife, so we wanted to provide a cultural event for people of various age groups. The artists who take part in the free market can show and sell their creations and visitors can come and see what kind of craftsmanship is available. I think it’s nice that the merchants can show the general public how they made their creations and share that experience with others.

The Hongdae Free Market offers precious opportunities to young artists, because it is a venue where they can show their works to the public and see people’s responses. Here’s wood craftsperson Bae Eun-joo.

I like meeting people from various backgrounds. They tell me things I didn’t realize before and give me new ideas. It’s like brainstorming. I can create new artwork by incorporating people’s various desires. Also, I grow as an artist that way.

The Hongdae Free Market is not only for selling art or craft items. It is also a venue to showcase your talents. Dancers, singers, outdoor performers, and musicians proudly present their skills in front of large crowds. It’s no surprise that the market and its surrounding areas are always bustling.

Some of you may be overwhelmed by all the noise and buzzing energy. But the passion of musicians on the stage is infectious and the audience answers the energetic performances with loud applause and cheers, turning the atmosphere very festive and entertaining. Here’s Mr. Kim Hyung-jin, who performs here often with a performing arts troupe called The Marketplace of Young Artists.

We are a performing arts company called The Marketplace of Young Artists. We put a lot of different genres in our performance, like dance, mime, martial arts, magic, and what not. We want to offer enjoyment to the audience. What we want to show you is simple – something spectacular and fun. To me, Hongdae means youth. I’ve performed at several venues, but the audiences at Hongdae streets are the liveliest, the most enthusiastic, and the most encouraging. We are the ones who end up receiving tremendous energy from the audience.

There is the Mural Street near the Hongdae Free Market. The murals can be seen in an alley off to the left side of the Hongik University main gate. The formerly narrow and mundane alley has been turned into an artsy outdoor gallery with the murals. Here’s travel writer Lee Dong-mi again.

The Mural Street refers to an alley with lots of murals. The alley starts at the Hongdae parking lot and continues through the alley beyond the Hongdae playground. A street arts competition is held every year here. The competition is not only for the murals, but also for installation art and performing arts. Installation art pieces are returned or disassembled after competition, but murals are left there for everyone to see. So the number and area of murals grows every year. Competitions participants get subsidy for their materials like paint, but some art students use their own money and voluntarily draw murals on the wall with permissions from the house and store owners. The murals are signed with the names and affiliations of the painters, letting visitors to the Mural Street know who drew what. It’s really fun to stroll in the alley to see all the murals.

Without the murals, the dirty exposed walls, gas meters, and water pipes would have turned the neighborhood into an eyesore. But colorful and vibrant murals have covered the blemishes and beautified the whole neighborhood. This is the power of art and culture.

Another attraction near Hongdae is the 11-story Sangsang Madang building, meaning “imagination yard.” The building houses a live performance stage, a theater for independent movies, a studio, a gallery, and a café. Visitors frequent Sangsang Madang to enjoy low-budget art films and original artworks. If you are lucky, you can check out the Seoul Fringe Festival. This year the festival celebrating Korea’s independent arts and culture was held from August 11th to 27th. It was a resounding success that turned up the already hot and stylish Hongdae neighborhood another notch. Here’s Im Gyeong-bin of the Seoul Fringe Festival to tell us more.

The Seoul Fringe Festival is held to support Korea’s indie artists and performers. It’s an occasion for the artists and performers to show what they’re truly made of. Music is the most accessible part of our festival, so a lot of indie bands hold concerts here. There are also many plays, experimental performing arts pieces, and dance numbers. These events demonstrate how human bodies can be used to express our thoughts and languages.

Living up to its purpose as an indie arts and culture event, the Seoul Fringe Festival imposes no restrictions on the eligibility of festival participants. Any artist who files in an application is given an opportunity to show their talent. Going into its 13th year, the festival sees many returning participants.

- I’m here for the third year straight. I like the freedom of street performance. I perform for the nameless crowd and against the natural background. I tend to show me as an artist in the most natural state. Personally, Hongdae is just the right venue for me energy-wise. It’s my third year here, but it feels new every time. Even the familiar places feel new and fun. I may come to the same place every year, but it feels different every time and I feel refreshed.

Every street, every alley around Hongdae is full of things to see and do. When the night falls the neighborhood turns into an international zone with young foreigners from all corners of the globe looking for some nighttime fun. And Hongdae has plenty of those in the neighborhood’s numerous iconic clubs. Here’s travel writer Lee Dong-mi.

Some exaggeratedly say that more than half of all the clubs in Korea are in the Hongdae neighborhood. But exaggeration aside, there really are a lot of night clubs here. They usually feature indie and underground bands, which reject pre-packaged music copied out by large entertainment companies. Those who purport to be talented indie bands gravitate toward Hongdae. There are several different types of clubs here, like live music clubs or DJ clubs, so people choose what suits them. The clubs in the Hongdae neighborhood can meet any music demands from Korean music lovers. Hongdae clubs are like a musical buffet.

Live performances at the clubs usually begin around five o’clock, but reach their peak after eight. Around then, the Hongdae clubs are almost always filled to the max.

- I like indie bands. They’re more original and fun than watching idol groups. It’s better because I can enjoy bands from different musical genres.
- I can relish freedom and release all my stress.
- I can enjoy new music when I come to these clubs. I also like the songs written by the indie bands, because the songs sing about their lives.

The Hongdae neighborhood is not your everyday college town. It has interesting cafes and clubs, and is an undisputed center of down-to-earth arts and culture. This is why young artists flock to Hongdae. Here’s rapper Party Girl from the indie band Spotlight.

My home is in Hongdae and my office is in Hongdae and I perform in Hongdae. Hongdae is like my second hometown. I get enough youth and personality here. I want to live here forever, sharing my youth and passion with you for the rest of my life.

Do you want to be energized? Do you want to feel young again? Then why don’t you add Hongdae to your itinerary?