Public Toilets in Hongdae: 24-Hour Red Road Restroom (R2)
Hongdae keeps moving late while the shops close, so the later it gets the fewer options you have. Mapo-gu addressed this by opening restrooms along the Hongdae Red Road one by one; as of the district's announcements there are four, at sections R1, R2, R3 and R6. Knowing where they are cuts down the late-night search.
Last checked: 2026-09-22·Desk-researched — not yet verified on site
Red Road public restrooms (R1, R2, R3, R6)
Per the district's announcements there are four: the Red Road Power Plant at the R1 entrance, the R2 Tourist Information Center (the closest to Hongik Univ. Station), R3 Seogyo Art Experimental Center, and the R6 tourist information center. R2 opened as a 24-hour restroom. Each has sit-down toilets, sinks and CCTV for emergencies, and the district provides QR-code signage to locate them.
AK Plaza Hongdae (in front of Hongik Univ. Station Exit 4)
188 Yanghwa-ro. Korea's accessible-tourism listing places it directly in front of Hongik Univ. Station Exit 4, with hours of 11:00–22:00 on weekdays and 10:30–22:00 on weekends and holidays. The listing notes elevators and an accessible restroom. Which floors have restrooms is not stated in any published source, so read the building directory.
Subway stations — toilets mostly outside the gates, and re-entry is free
Of the 313 stations on Lines 1–9 run by the city, 256 (82%) have their restrooms outside the fare gates. Since 1 July 2023, if you exit for the toilet and tap back in within 10 minutes there is no extra fare. Line 2 is covered along its whole length, which includes Hongik Univ. Station. It applies once per journey and requires a prepaid or postpaid transit card.
Tips
- The district cited that 52% of foreign visitors to Seoul had flagged the shortage of restrooms on Red Road as the reason for the programme. Given how much closes late at night, save the open restroom locations to your map in advance.
- Removing paper bins from Korean public toilets started in January 2018 — flushing the paper is the standard.
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.
Sources
- https://www.msnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=721020
- https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/3459311
- https://www.seouland.com/arti/society/society_general/18596.html
- https://access.visitkorea.or.kr/ms/detail.do?cotId=aa6221c7-2970-4fbb-979f-1d632c290681
- https://www.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0018408857
- https://inmykorea.com/korean-public-toilets-restrooms-bathrooms/