A multicultural walk through Itaewon's old and new sides

Itaewon Antique Furniture Street is a cluster of specialty shops in the Itaewon-dong area of Yongsan District, Seoul, that has sold Korean and Asian antique furniture, folk crafts, and vintage decor for decades. Longstanding stores line the street selling traditional wooden chests (bandaji), lacquerware, and restored hanok-era furnishings alongside curios collected from across Korea, drawing both serious collectors and casual browsers. The street reflects an older, less touristy side of Itaewon than its nightlife strip, appealing to visitors interested in Korean craftsmanship and interior design.

Seoul Central Mosque, completed in 1976 on a hillside above Itaewon in Yongsan District, is South Korea's first and largest mosque, serving as the spiritual center for the country's Muslim community and a hub of the surrounding Islamic Quarter's halal restaurants and shops. Built with donations from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and other Muslim-majority nations, its minaret and dome are visible across the neighborhood, and the mosque welcomes visitors of all faiths outside prayer times, with modest dress requested. The surrounding streets offer a distinctly multicultural slice of Seoul, reflecting decades of immigration and the presence of the nearby US military base.

Gyeongnidan-gil is a hillside street in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan District, that rose to fame in the 2010s as one of Seoul's trendiest strips of independent cafes, craft bars, and international restaurants, taking its name from the nearby Army Finance Command (Gyeongnidan). Narrow lanes branching off the main slope are lined with small boutiques and eateries run by young entrepreneurs, drawing comparisons to Brooklyn-style gentrifying neighborhoods, and its popularity has since spawned copycat 'gil' streets named after it elsewhere in Korea. Though foot traffic has fluctuated with Seoul's ever-shifting trends, it remains a popular spot for cafe-hopping and photos.