Goblin (Dokkaebi) Filming Locations: A Practical Guide

Goblin ran for 16 episodes from December 2016 to January 2018 (counting the special) and finished with peak ratings above 20% in Korea. More importantly for tourism, it traveled. The drama was distributed across Asia and licensed to platforms in Europe and the Americas, and a steady stream of international fans still arrives in Korea specifically to retrace its scenes. The production's location choices are part of the appeal. Director Lee Eung-bok and his team didn't build elaborate sets for the Korean scenes—they used existing places: a fishing-port breakwater in Gangneung, a working secondhand bookstore in Incheon, a palace wall in central Seoul. That means the locations look essentially the same now as they did on screen, with one important caveat: the European-looking scenes (Goblin's home, the famous red door, several flashbacks) were filmed in Quebec City, Canada. Some tour companies blur this line, so it's worth being clear about it upfront. This guide covers the four main Korean location clusters: Gangneung's coast, Incheon's old neighborhoods, central Seoul, and a brief honest note on what's not in Korea.

The single most photographed Goblin location is the breakwater between Jumunjin Port and Yeongjin Beach in Gangneung. This is where Ji Eun-tak (Kim Go-eun) blew out birthday candles and accidentally summoned Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) for the first time. The scene is simple—a young woman with a bouquet, a man in a long coat appearing on a stone breakwater—and the location delivers exactly what the camera saw: a low concrete pier, fishing boats, the East Sea behind. Address: 210 Jumunbuk-ro, Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do (강원 강릉시 주문진읍 주문북로 210). The breakwater is between Jumunjin Harbor and Yeongjin Beach; ask for '주문진 방파제' (Jumunjin bangpaje). Getting there from Seoul: Take the KTX from Seoul Station to Gangneung Station (about 2 hours). From Gangneung Station, take city bus 300 or similar northbound buses; the trip to Jumunjin takes roughly 30 minutes. A taxi from Gangneung Station runs around 20,000-25,000 won. What to expect: Fans regularly recreate the scene with bouquets and birthday candles, and on weekends the breakwater can get busy. The lighting that matched the drama's blue-grey tone tends to come on overcast days or near dusk. Combine the visit with Gangneung's Anmok Coffee Street (about 25 minutes south by bus or taxi) for a half-day on the coast.

Incheon hosts several Goblin locations within walking or short-taxi distance of each other. The most concrete is Hanmi Bookstore (한미서점), the secondhand bookshop where Sunny (Yoo In-na) worked. The exterior—the storefront with stacks of books and a signboard—is what appears in the drama. Address: 9 Geumgok-ro, Dong-gu, Incheon (인천 동구 금곡로 9). The shop sits in the Baedari secondhand bookstore alley, a small cluster of long-running used bookstores that pre-date the drama by decades. From Seoul, take Subway Line 1 to Dongincheon Station; the bookstore is about a 10-minute walk. Hours and stock vary—it's a working bookshop, not a museum, so be considerate if you're only there for photos. Nearby is Jayu Park (자유공원), a hilltop park overlooking Incheon's old port and Chinatown. Several walking and conversation scenes between characters were filmed along its tree-lined paths. From Hanmi Bookstore, it's about a 15-minute walk uphill, or a short taxi. Chinatown sits at the foot of the park and makes a natural lunch stop. The broader Baedari neighborhood—narrow alleys, low-rise brick buildings, faded signage—provided the drama's 'time-stopped' feel. Don't expect designated photo spots; the appeal is wandering.

Two Seoul-area locations come up consistently. Deoksugung Doldam-gil (덕수궁 돌담길), the stone wall walk along the side of Deoksugung Palace, is where several walking scenes between Kim Shin and Eun-tak were filmed. The walk runs from City Hall Station along the palace's western wall, lined with old plane trees. It's a known date spot in Seoul independent of the drama, which is why the scenes feel naturally lived-in rather than staged. Access: City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2), Exit 2. The walk is free and open at all hours, though the palace itself has set opening times if you want to combine the visit with a palace ticket (1,000 won, closed Mondays). The Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을) area, north of Gyeongbokgung, hosted several cafe and street scenes. We're deliberately not naming specific cafes here because Bukchon's businesses turn over—a cafe featured in 2016 may have a different owner, name, or interior in 2026. The hanok streets themselves are what the drama actually used as visual context, and those are still there. Anguk Station Exit 2 is the standard starting point. A note on the famous red door: it's a set piece, not a real building entrance you can find and photograph in Seoul. Tours that promise to take you to 'the Goblin's red door' in Korea are misrepresenting it.

A significant share of Goblin's most memorable visuals were filmed in Quebec City, Canada—not Korea. This includes the cobblestone streets of Petit Champlain, the area around Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, and the European-looking corridors used for Kim Shin's home and several flashbacks. The red door portal was a constructed prop placed for filming and dressed for the shot; it does not exist as a permanent doorway anywhere in Korea or Quebec. If you see a tour itinerary in Korea that lists 'the red door location' or 'Goblin's house' as a Korean stop, it's not accurate. The honest version: Quebec for the European scenes, Korea for everything else. A realistic Korea-only itinerary covering the verified spots: - Day 1: Seoul. Deoksugung stone wall walk and Bukchon hanok streets. Half-day, walkable from City Hall and Anguk stations. - Day 2: Incheon. Subway Line 1 to Dongincheon, walk to Hanmi Bookstore, up to Jayu Park, lunch in Chinatown. Half to full day depending on pace. - Day 3: Gangneung. KTX from Seoul Station (about 2 hours), bus or taxi to Jumunjin breakwater, optional stop at Anmok Coffee Street, return KTX same day or stay overnight. The full circuit fits comfortably into a three-day extension on a longer Korea trip. None of these locations charges a Goblin-specific fee; you're paying for transport and, optionally, palace admission.