Guest houses located in the Seoul city center that resemble Western bed and breakfasts are becoming increasingly popular with young Asian fans of Korean pop culture seeking reasonably priced lodging, according to operators of such facilities.
Guest houses in Seoul's Myeongdong shopping district and areas near the centrally located Mount Namsan have been favorites of international travelers for a few years now. Most recently, the majority of guests have been young visitors from other Asian countries such as Japan, Thailand and China, alongside a boom in Korean pop culture, known as "hallyu."
All rooms are full when there is a large-scale performance of K-pop idols in Seoul, according to operators.
"You can read the trends of Korean pop stars by looking at the photos attached to the walls of my guest house," said Ko Sun-min, the 50-year-old operator of a guest house in the city center.
A wall of the lobby is covered with presents, postcards and memos from travelers of various nationalities who have stayed there, and photos of Korean pop stars.
Lee Yun-bok, who is in his third year of running a guest house in Myeongdong, said there has been a conspicuous increase in the number of guests from Southeast Asian countries during that period.
"Most of them are young people in their 20s and 30s and females who are very interested in Korean pop stars," he said.
"Without exception, all the rooms are full when a Korean singer widely popular in other Asian nations performs (in Seoul). Many of our guests also enjoy shopping in such areas as Myeongdong, Dongdaemun and Cheongdamdong while staying here," said Jeon Do-hun, the 32-year-old manager of another guest house in the city center.
There are more than 20 such guest houses in the Myeongdong and Namsandong districts. Most have dormitory-style rooms that sleep two to six people, and are reasonably priced at about 20,000 won(US$17.8) a night per person. The prices for standard rooms range from 40,000 won to 60,000 won. (Yonhap News)
