BTS Pilgrimage Guide — Seoul, Busan, Gangneung: The Places They Left Behind

March 2026. BTS came back. All seven of them. The night ARIRANG echoed across Gwanghwamun Square, the Seoul sky turned purple. And once again, people around the world started booking flights — not to a concert venue, but to a ssambap restaurant where seven trainees used to eat after practice, a beach where they filmed an album cover, a café run by Jimin's father. These are the places BTS left behind.

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At a Glance

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Seoul — It Started with Ssambap

Yoojeong Sikdang: Where Trainees Ate

A side street off Dosan-daero in Gangnam. The wall hits you before the sign does — postcards, photocards, and handwritten letters from fans worldwide cover every inch of glass. This is where BTS used to come running after practice, back when they were still just trainees.

Open the door and doenjang hits you. Order the "Bangtan Bibimbap" — black pork in a stone pot, sizzling. A basket of ssam leaves arrives, and doenjang-jjigae bubbles next to it. The food is solid, not spectacular. What makes it special is sitting in the same seat, ordering the same thing. ₩12,000 — reasonable for Gangnam.

One wall has the members' signatures. The owner says, "Back then, they were just neighborhood kids."

HYBE Building: You Can't Go In, But Still

Five minutes on foot from Yongsan Station. A glass curtain wall catches the light. HYBE INSIGHT, the exhibition inside, closed permanently in January 2023. The building still draws fans for photos. Nearby, Jeokto Fermented BBQ has RM's signature on the wall. Grilling samgyeopsal while looking out at the HYBE building — that counts as a pilgrimage.

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Busan — Jimin's City

ZM-ILLENNIAL: Jimin's Father's Café

Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Busan. This café used to be called Magnate before the rename to ZM-ILLENNIAL. Walk in and you'll see a painting by Jimin on one wall. Fan gifts and letters fill display cases. The café itself is warm and quiet. Order a cream latte — the latte art comes out clean.

What matters is the atmosphere. This isn't a fan event. It's a place where Jimin's father comes to work every day. Sit quietly, drink your coffee, take one photo, leave a line in the guestbook. That's the right way.

Gamcheon Culture Village: Jimin & Jungkook on the Wall

Busan's colorful hillside village. Gamcheon is already a tourist draw, but ARMY comes for a specific mural. On the alley wall beside the hanji craft shop, Jimin and Jungkook are painted holding roses. Made in 2021, the colors are still vivid. Across the alley, a full-member mural was added later.

The climb to the top is steep. Stairs make your legs burn, but the view of Busan's coast at the summit is the reward. Between fans posing at the mural, a stray cat crosses the alley without a care.

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Gangneung & Samcheok — Inside the MV

BTS Bus Stop: You Never Walk Alone

Hyangho Beach, Jumunjin, Gangneung. The sea wind is strong. On the sand, a blue bus shelter stands alone. It's the one from the You Never Walk Alone album cover — rebuilt by Gangneung City in June 2018 as a permanent photo zone. No actual buses stop here.

Seven purple benches — one for each member. BTS music plays through speakers. A purple swing, a stamp station, and night lighting that turns the whole zone into a different world after dark. Visit Korea lists it as one of Gangwon-do's top attractions.

During the day, there's a line for photos. Go at sunset. The evening light reflects off the shelter glass, and all that's left is the sound of waves. Play Spring Day through your earphones and sit. You'll understand why you came this far.

Nearby, the Jumunjin Goblin Breakwater — the filming location from tvN's Guardian: The Lonely and Great God — is a 30-minute bus ride away. Combine both for a full Jumunjin pilgrimage.

Maengbang Beach: The Butter Summer

Samcheok's Maengbang Beach has a permanent photo zone from the Butter album jacket shoot — parasols, sun loungers, beach volleyball nets. In summer it's a real swimming beach. Even in winter, the photo zone stays open.

The beach is wide. The sand is fine. There are few people. Instead of tourist noise, the background is wind and seagulls. Picture BTS running and laughing here, and an ordinary beach looks different.

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Goyang — RM's Hometown

Jeongbalsan Station RM Mural

Exit 2, Jeongbalsan Station, Ilsan. On the outer wall of the Goyang IT Center, there's a portrait of RM. Commissioned by Goyang City, unveiled during BTS FESTA 2025. RM grew up in this neighborhood. His face on this wall means something.

A small photo zone sits in front of the mural. Ilsan Lake Park is a 15-minute walk. Walking the lakeside path, you think: RM walked this same route as a kid.

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Practical Info

Getting Around

• Seoul → Busan: KTX 2h 30min (₩59,800)
• Busan → Gangneung: Transfer via Seoul is most practical
• Gangneung → Samcheok: Bus 1h or taxi (~₩40,000)
• Seoul → Goyang (Jeongbalsan): Subway Line 3, direct, 40min

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Sitting at the bus stop, watching the sea. Spring Day plays through the earphones. I miss you. Saying that makes me miss you more. If you ask why I came all this way — the answer is simple. I wanted to feel the same wind.