Hongik University

Founded by an independence activist in 1946, Hongik University is a private South Korean university. It counts more than 17.000 students and has one of the most popular bachelor’s degrees in architecture and design in South Korea. The neighborhood of its Seoul campus has been renowned for Korean indie music and art culture since the 1980s. Until the 2000s, the district remained as an original indie hipster area for young adults, however, due to the incursion and expansion of corporate brands and real estate development, gentrification has become a serious issue for many years. As an outcome, the neighborhood has also expanded to adjacent areas. It is a very crowded and commercial district full of young adults, mostly who would like to enjoy hip restaurants, bars, live and night clubs, and art galleries including alternative art spaces.