EXO Seoul Pilgrimage: Must-Visit Spots for EXO-L

SM Entertainment's headquarters is at Acro Seoul Forest D Tower, 83-21 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu. They moved here from Gangnam in July 2021. Five-minute walk from Seoul Forest Station on the Suin-Bundang Line. The basement floor houses 'KWANGYA SEOUL,' a fan experience space. You can buy SM artist merchandise, albums, and photocards, plus take 'KWANGYA 4-Cut' photos with your favorite artist's backdrop—about 5,000 won per session. Open daily 10:30–20:00; during new album release periods, lines can stretch outside the building, so weekday mornings are your best bet for a calm visit. The first floor features a massive LED media wall that continuously plays SM artists' music videos. When Kai previewed his solo mini-album 'Wait On Me' here, over 2,000 fan verification photos were uploaded in just two days. The media wall rotates through different artists, so you might need to wait for your favorite's content to come up. SM also opened the 'SM Artist & Music Center' in Seongsu-dong in August 2023. It's a practice and rehearsal facility—no public access—but fans say the odds of running into an artist on the street nearby are higher than at the main building. The Seongsu-dong café street around the SM building has become an unofficial SM fan gathering zone, with cup sleeve events regularly popping up at nearby cafes.

KAMONG (17 Seocho-daero 42-gil, Seocho-gu) is a café run by Kai's older sister. The name combines KAi + MONGgu (his dog). Located near Gangnam Station in Seocho-dong, its signatures are ice cream waffles (around 8,000 won) and hand-drip coffee (around 6,000 won). The interior has a warm, homey feel with wooden furniture. Kai himself reportedly drops by from time to time—regulars say weekend afternoons are when he's been spotted, though there's no guarantee. Cofioca (31 Seolleung-ro 161-gil, Gangnam-gu) is the café Sehun has been visiting since his trainee days. Near the Apgujeong Rodeo area, it's a cozy space with a lived-in atmosphere. His go-to orders are the Chocolate Colada and Honeydew Melon Milk Tea (both around 6,500 won). The walls are covered in K-pop idol autographs—not just EXO, but other SM and non-SM artists who've stopped by over the years. Gold Pig Dining (149 Dasan-ro, Jung-gu) is a bone-in pork belly restaurant in Sindang-dong that Suho and Sehun frequent. BTS members are reportedly regulars too. The specialty is thick-cut pork belly grilled on charcoal—order it with soju for the full Korean BBQ experience. Expect wait times of one to two hours during dinner, especially on weekends. Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki (5 Dasan-ro 35-gil, Jung-gu) is a Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town staple that became famous after Chanyeol's visit. Order the set for two or more—it comes with ramyeon noodles, eggs, and dumplings for around 12,000–15,000 won per person. Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town itself is a collection of tteokbokki restaurants in one alley, accessible from Sindang Station Exit 7.

D.O. holds an actual Korean Cuisine Technician License (한식조리기능사). In 2025, he appeared on Na Young-seok PD's variety show alongside Lee Kwang-soo, showcasing his cooking skills—the show brought his foodie reputation to a mainstream audience beyond the fandom. He's known for regularly recommending restaurants through Bubble (the fan communication app), and his pick of Byeongangsoe Tteokbokki has become a nationwide EXO-L pilgrimage destination. During SM artist birthdays or comeback seasons, cup sleeve events pop up at cafés near the SM building in Seongsu-dong. Fan organizers book cafés in advance, prepare custom merchandise, and decorate the space—some transform entire café interiors for the event. Check fan accounts on Twitter/X (search: 엑소 컵홀더) for current schedules and locations. The old SM Town COEX Artium closed in 2022, and KWANGYA SEOUL has since become the essential stop for SM fans. Hanam Pig House is a popular samgyeopsal restaurant among SM artists. The Garosu-gil branch (near Sinsa Station Exit 8) is the most accessible. Staff grill the meat for you, so you can just sit back and eat—this is a nice touch if you're not confident with Korean BBQ grilling technique. Around 15,000–18,000 won per serving. Elephant Café (Gangnam area) is a four-story elephant-themed café that Baekhyun frequented. Each floor has a different concept, and the rooftop terrace offers a view of the Gangnam skyline. Drinks are in the 7,000–9,000 won range.

EXO's Seoul solo concerts are mainly held at KSPO Dome (inside Olympic Park). Their 11th anniversary fan meeting 'EXO' L-EIGHT-S' was here, and the EXO PLANET concert series uses this as its main venue. Olympic Park Station Exit 3, then a 15-minute walk through the park. Gocheok Sky Dome (430 Gyeongin-ro, Guro-gu) has also hosted large-scale shows—it's a converted baseball stadium with retractable seats that expand the venue to around 25,000 for concerts. In their earlier years, smaller fan meetings were held at the Olympic Hall (2,400 seats) inside Olympic Park. As an SM group, EXO participates in SMTOWN LIVE joint concerts. The SMTOWN LIVE events at Jamsil Olympic Stadium let you see EXO alongside NCT, aespa, and SHINee all in one show—it's one of the best value-for-money concert experiences in K-pop if you follow multiple SM groups. The Seongsu-dong area around the SM building is close to Seoul Forest, making it easy to fill half a day. Recommended route: SM Building (KWANGYA) → Seoul Forest walk (free entry, beautiful in spring and autumn) → Seongsu-dong café street. Seoul Forest has deer enclosures, butterfly gardens, and wide lawns. Since NCT and aespa fans follow the same path, SM fans can efficiently hit multiple groups' pilgrimage spots in one trip.

EXO is one of the most active K-pop groups when it comes to acting and musical theater. D.O. (Do Kyungsoo) in particular has built a career as an actor that rivals his idol fame in Korea. D.O. started acting in 2014 with the drama 'It's Okay, That's Love,' then went on to star in the film 'Swing Kids' (2018), 'The Moon' (2023), the drama '100 Days My Prince' (2018), and 'Bad Prosecutor' (2024). Most of his work is filmed on sets, so there aren't many specific filming locations to visit, but among EXO-Ls, watching a D.O. movie at a Korean theater is considered part of the pilgrimage itself. Keep an eye out for special screenings of D.O.'s films at CGV or Megabox. Suho (Kim Junmyeon) is also active as a musical theater actor. He's appeared in 'The Last Kiss' and 'Arietta,' with major performance venues being Blue Square (294 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Exit 2 of Hangangjin Station) and CJ Towol Theatre at Seoul Arts Center (2406 Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Exit 5 of Nambu Terminal Station). Blue Square is a 1,766-seat musical theater, and when Suho performs, EXO-Ls traditionally send flower wreaths—the lobby fills up with flowers. Baekhyun and Chen (Jongdae) are active as both solo artists and musical actors. Baekhyun's solo albums 'City Lights' (2019) and 'Delight' (2020) broke SM solo sales records, and his solo concerts are held at Olympic Hall (inside Olympic Park, 2,400 seats) or KSPO Dome. Chen has such a strong position as a ballad singer that he frequently holds OST-related events and smaller fan meetings outside of SM concerts.

The two key neighborhoods for an EXO pilgrimage are Seongsu-dong and Sindang-dong. Seongsu-dong is where the SM headquarters is located, and Sindang-dong is where the members' favorite restaurants are clustered. Combine both in one day and you've got yourself a proper EXO-L Seoul tour. The Seongsu-dong route starts at Seoul Forest Station (Suin-Bundang Line). Walk toward the SM building, stopping at KWANGYA SEOUL for merchandise and to catch EXO content on the media wall. After KWANGYA, stroll along Ttukseom-ro and Seoul Forest 2-gil—cafés line the streets endlessly. Two to three hours is plenty for Seongsu-dong. To get to Sindang-dong, take Line 2 from Ttukseom Station to Sindang Station—about 20 minutes. The highlight of Sindang-dong is Tteokbokki Town (Exit 7 of Sindang Station). Start with Mabongnim Halmeoni Tteokbokki, where Chanyeol visited, then explore the rest of the alley—the entire block is dedicated to tteokbokki restaurants. Besides tteokbokki, ordering twigim (fried snacks), sundae (blood sausage), and eomuk (fish cakes) is standard. Budget around 10,000–15,000 won per person for a filling meal. A five-minute walk from Tteokbokki Town takes you to Gold Pig Dining (149 Dasan-ro, Jung-gu). It's Suho and Sehun's go-to bone-in pork belly spot, and dinner wait times can be long. If you want to save time, go for lunch or around 3 PM. Recommended one-day itinerary combining both neighborhoods: morning in Seongsu-dong (KWANGYA + cafés + Seoul Forest) → lunch at Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town → afternoon at Gold Pig Dining, or head to Gangnam for a KAMONG and Cofioca café tour.