BTS Seoul Pilgrimage: Yoojung Sikdang & Early Days
Journey through Seoul to Yoojung Sikdang, the restaurant that fed BTS during their formative years. Relive the group's early memories on this essential ARMY pilgrimage.
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Journey through Seoul to Yoojung Sikdang, the restaurant that fed BTS during their formative years. Relive the group's early memories on this essential ARMY pilgrimage.
A place no ARMY would ever not know!
Full of BTS memories 💜
I've compiled them all into this special BTS Pilgrimage guide!
Even 13 years after their debut, new fans are still falling in love
with my idols, BTS.
A recommended itinerary even for new ARMYs,,🦔
BTS's Favorite Restaurant
Yoojung Sikdang
Back when HYBE was still Big Hit Entertainment,,
and they didn't have their own building, renting offices in a different one.
Their practice room, however, was in a separate location, a bit of a distance from the office...
The practice room was in the basement,
and right above it was the restaurant where the boys would eat daily meals on a monthly pass.
This was Yoojung Sikdang, their regular spot🥹
The owner of Yoojung Sikdang,,💜
who fed the boys with so much love and affection before their debut.
The members have mentioned it so often
in vlogs, live broadcasts, and more,
it's a place no ARMY could possibly not know about‼️
But it's not just that!
It's also a popular spot for office workers around Hakdong and Sinsa stations
who love it for a delicious lunch,
This is Jireunsan Hwangtogol Tojong Heukdwaeji, also known as Yoojung Sikdang.
📍 Yoojung Sikdang
14 Dosan-daero 28-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Alright, Jungkook, give me your bank account details...
From ceiling to floor,
it's genuinely a place overflowing with traces
left by ARMYs who have come here on their pilgrimage.
And they even have all sorts of rare artifacts,,💓
Yoojung Sikdang Meal Menu
If you have plenty of time, go for the Samgyeopsal (pork belly).
Otherwise,
order the Black Pork Dolsot Bibimbap,
which is what BTS ate the most‼️
,,my friend ordered in advance,
so these photos are the best I could get ^^;
While the taste is great, you truly eat this with memories and love.
Was it in '24...?
After Jin was discharged from the military, he visited again,
and the ARMYs who were there at the time hit the jackpot (were incredibly lucky)!
The owner welcomed Jin so warmlyㅠㅠㅠ
It truly warmed my heart.
It even appeared in the 'Run BTS! Telepathy' episode,
a place of BTS memories that Yoongi sought out.
The Beginning of Big Hit Music
Cheonggu Building
I think I saw an article saying that actor Kim Woo-bin is currently the building owner...
Though there's an issue with the graffiti,
this is Cheonggu Building, which used to be the Big Hit Entertainment office.
It's a place where ARMYs from all over the world visit
and leave their graffiti.
📍 Cheonggu Building
13-20 Dosan-daero 16-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Even if all the graffiti is erased,
it just reappears, so it seems they've decided to leave it as is for now...
(As a building owner, I imagine they'd be pretty annoyed....😇)
And the Apgujeong Traditional Korean Medicine Clinic apparently
welcomes ARMYs, lol! 😂
Hakdong Park
📍 Hakdong Park
47 Gangnam-daero 140-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Back when they were promoting "N.O,"
the ceiling in their underground practice room was so low
that practicing jump choreography was tough.
So, before the urethane floor was installed,
BTS used the sand ground here as a mat for practice.
And when his rap parts were rejected over 30 times,
Rap Monster (RM) came to Hakdong Park
to relieve his creative anguish (?),
shouting and throwing a keyboard...
On this very swing, Namjoon AND Jimin....💚
The 'Flower Boy' was here too!
I also had to sit where Jimin did, hehe,,🐥💜
Yoongi even shot his Valentino pictorial here
ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
BTS still cherishes these memories.
How can you NOT do a BTS pilgrimage after knowing all this?
I also made sure to ride the swing
where Namjoon and Yoongi once sat.
After our walk through Hakdong Park, our next stop was...
The Space That Was BTS's Dorm
Cafe Hyuga
📍 Hyuga
Woosung Village Back Alley, 16 Nonhyeon-ro 119-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (For navigation, search 'United Pharma')
Just a heads-up: the path to Hyuga is
an incredibly steep uphill climb,
so be warned – it's a high-difficulty route! 🥵
Was it until 2017...?
After passing by their very first dorm, the 'Blue Door' dorm,
which even appeared on 'Run BTS!',
you'll arrive at what was the members' last dorm in Nonhyeon-dong.
This place has been transformed into a multi-cultural complex
and operates as a cafe! What's amazing is that the original layout of the dorm has been wonderfully preserved,
making it so much fun to compare with old 'ttoekbap' (fan content/clues) and rediscover memories! 🤩
As for what was either their first or second dorm,
someone rented it out,
crammed a bunch of bunk beds in there,
and is apparently running a 'creative economy' by charging ~hundreds of USD per night like an Airbnb.
Tsk-tsk, that's really not the way to do it...
The Home of Irresistible Salt Bread
(Please keep in mind that prices may vary)
When I visited in the afternoon,
all the bread was already gone... 🥹
Seriously, I can't even begin to imagine
how many people have passed through here!
Cafe Hyuga Bakery: Better than I imagined!
This is our Yoongi & Seokjin's room
That air conditioner is *this* very air conditioner...
After our Gangnam tour,
we wrapped things up with some shopping at Wiggle Wiggle,
a true BTS pilgrimage!
Tom N Toms with Namjoon and Seokjin
We love you, BTS! 💜
According to the article, the most frequently eaten menu item by BTS members at Yoojung Sikdang was Black Pork Dolbi (stir-fried spicy pork with bean sprouts). It also mentions that if you have enough time, ordering Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) is a good option.
Cheonggu Building is a place where ARMYs from all over the world visit and leave graffiti. Even if the graffiti is completely erased, it reappears, so it is currently left as is. The article mentions that the current owner of the building is Mr. Kim Woo-bin.
Hakdong Park holds memories of RM (Rap Monster) visiting to shout and throw keyboards to relieve creative stress. There is also a swing where Namjoon, Jimin, and Yoongi sat, and Yoongi filmed a Valentino photoshoot there.
Cafe Hyuga is located at 16 Nonhyeon-ro 119-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (behind Woosung Village). You can find it by searching for United Pharm. It's on an extremely steep uphill road, making it challenging to reach, but it has preserved the dormitory's original form well, making it fun to compare with past content.
Yoojung Sikdang was BTS's regular restaurant where they ate during their trainee days, before their debut, above their basement practice room. It's a nostalgic place where the owner lovingly fed the members, and it has been frequently mentioned by the members in vlogs and live broadcasts.
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