Which Exit at Hongik Univ. Station: Picking the Right One
Three lines meet at Hongik Univ. Station, the exits are spread out, and the underground passages are long enough that picking the wrong one costs real time. Here is the right exit for each destination.
Last checked: 2026-09-20·Desk-researched — not yet verified on site
Exit 9 — shopping street and busking
The main one. Fastest route to the shopping street and the busking area, with the Musinsa Standard flagship right outside as a landmark. Turn left on the street in front of the exit and keep going — the second crossing is Eoulmadang-ro.
Exit 8 — the alternative to Exit 9
Right beside Exit 9 and it lands you in nearly the same spot. On weekend evenings Exit 9 often jams up, and this one gets you out faster.
Exit 3 — Yeonnam-dong and Gyeongui Line Forest Park
Connects to AK Plaza with bus stops right there. It is also the direction for the Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Yeonnam-dong — locals call it Yeontral Park — whose Yeonnam stretch runs about 1.2km, roughly a 35-minute stroll.
Exit 1 — quieter back streets
The residential side, away from the noise of the shopping street, where the quieter neighborhood cafes are. If the main strip is your goal, this is the wrong exit.
Tips
- The AREX express runs non-stop to Seoul Station and does not call at Hongik Univ. To come straight from Incheon Airport to Hongdae, take the all-stop train.
- With luggage, the AK Plaza passage by Exit 3 is the easier way out. Exit 9 has stairs and crowds that make dragging a suitcase a chore.
Hongdae · Places
AK PLAZA Hongdae
AK플라자 홍대A five-floor mall at 188 Yanghwa-ro, in front of Hongik Univ. Station. AK Plaza's official page gives 11:00–22:00 on weekdays and 10:30–22:00 on weekends and public holidays; there was no closing day in September 2026. Floors run 1F daily lifestyle, 2F fandom and accessories, 3F street culture, 4F entertainment and 5F animation and culture. During opening hours it also works as a restroom stop by the station: Korea's accessible-tourism listing notes an accessible toilet and elevators.
Bongsan Jeongyuk
봉산정육A Hongdae meat house that says it hand-picks only 1++ Hanwoo and pork with 40%+ marbling, with staff grilling each cut for you. It opens every day from 12:00 to 23:00 with last order at 22:20, so a late dinner works — and corkage is free if you bring your own wine.
Gimbap Cheonguk Hongdae Main Branch
김밥천국 홍대본점A Gimbap Cheonguk branch at 55 Eoulmadang-ro. Its hours change by day, so whether it works for breakfast depends on the day: on Friday and Saturday nights it stays open until 09:00 the next morning, while Monday to Thursday it closes at 05:30 and reopens at 10:00. Gimbap starts at ₩4,000; visitors say ordering is by kiosk and it also sells soju and beer.
Manaolana
마나올라나A brunch cafe on Seongmisan-ro in Yeonnam-dong. Its DiningCode listing gives 07:00–18:00 every day, last order 17:00. The menu is breakfast food: a one-plate brunch, sandwiches, Greek yoghurt bowls and a potato soup. Apart from the 24-hour gimbap shops, it is the earliest opening in Hongdae and Yeonnam on any day of the week.