Nagwon Arcade

I realized today that my blog is the number one authority for information relating to Nagwon Arcade, according to Google at least. Thus I feel I should provide some useful information.

Nagwon is a giant music mall located in Central Seoul and containing over 200 stores that sell instruments and recording gear of all varieties. Many stores also do repairs. You have the opportunity to bargain on the price of whatever you’re after. If the vendors won’t budge then just start to walk away and they’ll likely have a quick change of heart.

The easiest way to get there is to take the subway to Jongno-3-ga. No matter what line you take you need to walk to the purple line (line 5) and make your way out of exit 4 or 5; they’re right next to each other. You should take the one with stairs, not the escalator. At the top of the stairs you’ll be on a street corner and an alley will be visible slightly off to your right. There’s a small sign pointing in the right direction that reads “Nagwon Arcade”, however there is no sign on the building. Once in the alley you will see a couple flights of stairs on your left side. Take them to the top and you’re in like Flynn.

Their hours are somewhat of a mystery to me, but I’m pretty sure it closes at 6 or 6:30 on weekdays, stays open a bit later (maybe eight) on Fridays and Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays and national holidays.

Edit (9.23.2012)

Still not sure on the exact hours, but I believe it closes at 6:30 M-R and is open a bit later on Saturday… Most of the stores are closed on Sunday. I was going to shoot a video showing directions to the place before I jump ship, but there’s a YouTube video available already that should suffice, though it’s got that annoying style of voice-over that older tourists are supposed to love.

As of my last visit a few months back, there’s no English sign to mark the place. All you get is that rectangular blue sign above the underpass reading “낙원악기상가.”