In KPop Demon Hunters, viewers visit a fantasy world where an evil ruler named Gwi-Ma feeds on people’s souls, and humanity’s best protection is the singing voices of three demon hunters and K-pop icons. Obviously, much of that magical universe only exists in animation, but there are several real locations reimagined in the movie that any mortal can explore on a trip to Seoul, South Korea. 

To inform how they represented this stunning version of Seoul on screen, KPop Demon Hunters’ artistic leadership visited locations across Korea, and art director Wendell Dalit made sure his crew studied photos from the trip. “It’s a fine balance between making it accurate and adding our own stylization,” visual effects supervisor Clara Chan tells Netflix. “We started from real satellite data of Seoul to make sure the terrains were accurate. And we scattered our uniquely designed buildings procedurally throughout the city. The result was a Seoul built from data, shaped by design, and filled with the small, authentic details that made it feel real.” 

Read on for a complete guide to the Seoul neighborhoods, landmarks, attractions, and historic sites that inspired the lovingly designed KPop Demon Hunters universe. Then plan your own trip to check them out — and eat your way through Korea, too, with help from our KPop Demon Hunters food guide.

Bukchon Hanok Village

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Located in the Jongno District, this quaint neighborhood features narrow streets and architecture from the 14th century. It’s here that Rumi and Jinu meet up for the first time. After receiving his invitation through Derpy Tiger and Sussie, Rumi arrives in Bukchon Hanok ready to attack. Jinu dodges repeated slashes from her sword and then questions the demon hunter about her patterns and even divulges his own secrets. The two return to these tiled rooftops later, and Rumi admits that confiding in Jinu has healed her voice. Together, they sing “Free” while wandering through and levitating above the picturesque landscape.

Cheongdam Bridge

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Spanning the Han River, Cheongdam Bridge connects the Gwangjin and Gangnam districts via the Seoul subway. Atop one of the speeding trains, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey fight demons while arguing about which song to perform at the Idol Awards the next day — and why Rumi has been acting so strange. As they cross the river, annihilating the swarm of demons falling from a huge tear in the Hanmoon, the three begin to sing their new diss track “Takedown.”

Coex K-Pop Square

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Coex K-Pop Square features a wraparound LED screen so large that it makes videos appear three-dimensional. Both HUNTR/X and Saja Boys get that 3D treatment in KPop Demon Hunters. When Rumi surprises fans — and her bandmates — by dropping their new single “Golden,” it’s projected in Coex K-Pop Square. Later, following the disastrous Idol Awards, Jinu and the boys show up onscreen to announce a special live performance; they claim it’s meant to cheer up fans after HUNTR/X’s shocking public breakup, but it’ll actually just draw more souls for Gwi-Ma to feast on. It makes sense to extend the invitation via this giant digital billboard, as it draws thousands of visitors every day and constantly broadcasts K-pop hits — which explains the name.

Gyeongbokgung

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This former royal palace dates back to 1395, when it was home to the Joseon dynasty, and the movie gives us a glimpse of how — in animated form — it may have looked back then. During his first one-on-one meeting with Rumi in Bukchon Hanok Village, which happens to be located close to the palace and was established in the same historical period, Jinu reveals how he first came under Gwi-Ma’s control 400 years ago. Back then, Jinu and his family lived in extreme poverty, so the demon ruler convinced him to sell his soul. After making the devilish deal, the Korean royal court took notice of Jinu’s voice, and he and his family were invited to move onto the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds. That story ends tragically, but the palace itself is still one of Korea’s most-visited tourist attractions.

Lotte World Tower

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KPop Demon Hunters’ environmental art director, Celine Kim, says the building that houses HUNTR/X’s pristine penthouse was inspired by a landmark in the Sincheon-dong neighborhood. “I don’t know if many people have realized, but [HUNTR/X’s home] is located right where the Lotte Tower is on our map,” Kim wrote on Threads. What a fitting place for the wildly successful band to call home! “The girls are so over the top that they live in the penthouse of an iconic skyscraper, literally reflecting the feeling of being on top of the world and at the height of their careers when this movie opens,” production designer Mingjue Helen Chen tells Netflix. At 123 stories, the real tower is the sixth-tallest building in the world, but because the production team couldn’t secure the rights to use it, Kim says she designed the fictionalized version to be even taller. But the real question is, do any of the residences inside Lotte have a walk-in closet as incredible as the one in the animated penthouse?

Myeongdong

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Seoul’s main shopping district, Myeongdong, is filled with luxury stores and street food vendors. But it also features historically significant sites, including Myeongdong Cathedral and Myeongdong Theater. The circular pattern of the tiled walkway outside the theater can be spotted in KPop Demon Hunters’ most rewatched scene: Saja Boys’ performance of “Soda Pop.” After visiting Healer Han, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey literally run into the boy band in a bustling city square, and the world is introduced here to the new sensation. “For Myeongdong, we leaned into the modern Seoul, with straight lines and modern materials like steel and concrete and plastics,” Chen tells Netflix. You can experience that sleek aesthetic on your own shopping spree in Myeong-dong — and pick up a Korean hot dog while you’re at it.

Naksan Park

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Call it a date or a business meeting — whatever that second clandestine meetup Rumi arranges with Jinu is, its location is definitely romantic. The two discuss a plan for HUNTR/X to win the Idol Awards, which would permanently seal the Honmoon and free Jinu from the demon world, in Naksan Park, a real public space with walking paths and observation decks. There, a panoramic view of downtown Seoul is visible beyond the Fortress Wall that passes through the park and sets the mood for sparks to fly — much to Derpy’s pleasure. 

N Seoul Tower

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Once Gwi-Ma has entered the human world, he draws a massive crowd to a fictional stadium situated underneath N Seoul Tower, also known as Namsan Tower, where Saja Boys will perform “Your Idol” and the demon ruler will feast. Writer-director Chris Appelhans describes this scene as a “Pied-Piper-into-Hell moment.” “The Saja Boys concert is staged on the hill of Namsan Tower, a beacon at the heart of the city, summoning everybody,” he tells Netflix. In real life, Namsan Tower is used as a broadcast and communications tower, beaming out invisible waves not totally unlike the magical forces that are transmitted out from the adjacent venue as Jinu sacrifices himself and HUNTR/X sings “What It Sounds Like,” saving everyone’s souls.

Seoul Olympic Stadium

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Built for the 1998 Olympics, this stadium isn’t just for sporting events. Major musical acts from Backstreet Boys to BTS have performed there. And, in the world of KPop Demon Hunter, so does HUNTR/X. In one of the film’s first scenes, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey realize they’re late for a concert because their jet has been taken over by demons. After fighting them off — while simultaneously enjoying their preshow ramyeon and singing “How It’s Done,” the girls skydive into the film’s interpretation of Seoul Olympic Stadium, which is packed with fans whose excitement gets them closer to sealing the Honmoon.

Watch the ‘Soda Pop’ Music Video from KPop Demon Hunters