Why visit Ssangmun-dong
Squid Game became a global phenomenon after its September 2021 premiere, and Ssangmun-dong is where the story’s most human moments happen. This is not where the games were filmed — those sets in Daejeon have been taken down — but where Gi-hun and Sang-woo grew up, where neighbors know each other, and where the show’s everyday Seoul feels most real.
Baegun Market is a working local market, not a film set. The fish shop run by Sang-woo’s mother in the story is a real shop that still trades. The CU convenience store is a real corner shop where locals buy noodles and soju. Visiting these places means walking through a residential neighborhood where people live and work, so the experience is quiet and ordinary in the best way: you see the Seoul that the characters came from, not a theme park version of it.
Dobong-gu promotes Ssangmun-dong as a filming area for Squid Game, Reply 1988, and Goblin, according to its 2021 press release. The neighborhood rewards slow walking and attention to detail — the market’s fifth-day schedule, the church lane’s quiet, the way the CU store sits on a residential corner. Nearest station: Ssangmun Station, whose Exit 4 is pictured above; the walk itself takes about an hour, so it fits a half-day trip from central Seoul.
Ssangmun-dong walk
Seoul City and Netflix both name Ssangmun-dong, in Dobong-gu, as the protagonists’ neighborhood. Most of Squid Game was shot on sets; Ssangmun-dong appears near the start and the end of Season 1, according to The Fact.
This is a place where people live and work. Visit quietly, buy before you photograph inside a shop, ask owners first, and never photograph residents or their homes. The houses of Gi-hun and Sang-woo are not listed here.
No official source gives a route or walking times between the three places below. Plan the walk with Naver Map or Kakao Map; the market card has map links, and the church lane and the store are given by neighborhood only.
Dobong-gu also promotes Ssangmun-dong as a Reply 1988 and Goblin filming area, according to its 2021 press release.
Baegun Market and Paldo Dried Fish
Baegun Market is a traditional market where locals shop for fish, produce, and daily goods. Paldo Dried Fish, the shop identified by VisitKorea as “Sang-woo’s fish shop,” sits inside the market. The shop still trades as of Hankook Ilbo’s August 2023 report, though we have no newer source confirming its current status.
When you visit, buy something before you take photos, and ask the owner first. The market is busiest on fifth-day market days, when vendors set up additional stalls. The market has a squid statue that makes a good photo landmark, and the surrounding streets show the everyday Ssangmun-dong that the show portrays.
Lane by Dobong Central Church
This is a quiet residential lane in front of Dobong Central Church. Hanryu Times reports that Sang-woo and Gi-hun share vending-machine coffee here, though the vending machine has since gone. The lane itself still looks much the same.
The church is a working place of worship on a residential street. View from the street only, keep your voice down, do not enter during services, and do not photograph residents or homes. This stop has only one source so far, which is why it is labeled “reported” rather than “confirmed.”
CU convenience store, Ssangmun Uicheon branch
This CU store is where Gi-hun and Oh Il-nam meet again in the story, drinking soju with an instant-noodle snack. Hanryu Times reports the scene took four days to film.
The store is a working convenience store on a residential street. Buy something before taking photos, ask staff first, and keep the terrace clear for customers. Our sources date from 2021; we have not confirmed the store still trades under this name. The exact street address is not given in official sources, so the guide lists it by neighborhood only.
Lost filming spots
Squid Game experience hall, Baegun Market. Dobong-gu opened a Squid Game experience hall in the market in December 2021, across from Paldo Dried Fish. It closed after about 11 months as visitor numbers fell, and the space became an underwear shop, Hankook Ilbo reported in 2023.
How we checked
Confirmed means two or more independent qualified sources (official tourism bodies, city government, or established press) name the same place for the same scene. Reported means one qualified source names it, and we are still looking for a second. Fan-spotted means only fan sources with links have identified it.
For Ssangmun-dong, Baegun Market’s Paldo Dried Fish is Confirmed (VisitKorea, Dobong-gu, YTN, Hankook Ilbo). The CU store is Confirmed (VisitSeoul, Korea.net, YTN, Hanryu Times). The church lane is Reported (Hanryu Times only).
We do not use drama stills. The only drama footage is Netflix’s official trailer, embedded from YouTube. We do not list private homes, and we do not guess addresses, transit times, or opening hours. When a source is from 2021 and we have no newer confirmation, the guide says so.
More Squid Game places
The ddakji platform at Yangjae Citizen’s Forest Station, the Namsan trail, the Season 2 places in Jongno and the Incheon stops are in the Squid Game Seoul and Incheon guide. Every place from the show is on the Squid Game filming locations page.
Related guides: Goblin in Seoul (also filmed in Dobong-gu), Squid Game Seoul 1-day route.
Getting there
Ssangmun-dong is in northern Seoul. Find the nearest subway station and walking route on Naver Map (English UI) or Seoul Metro.
FAQ
Can I visit the game arenas from Squid Game?
No. The games were filmed on sets that no longer stand, so they are not places to visit. The real, visitable spots are the everyday places in Ssangmun-dong.
Is the Squid Game experience hall at Baegun Market still open?
No. It closed after about 11 months as visitor numbers fell, and Hankook Ilbo reported in 2023 that the space had become an underwear shop.
Can I see Gi-hun’s or Sang-woo’s house?
No. Homes in Ssangmun-dong are private, so this guide does not list them.
Is the vending machine from the church lane still there?
No. The vending machine in the lane by Dobong Central Church has since gone, though the street itself still looks much the same.
How do I get to Ssangmun-dong from central Seoul?
Take the subway toward Dobong-gu in northern Seoul. Use Naver Map (English UI) to find the nearest station and walking route to Baegun Market. The market is the natural starting point for the walk.
Can I combine Ssangmun-dong with other sights?
Yes. Dobong-gu also promotes the area for Reply 1988 and Goblin filming locations — see our Reply 1988 guide for the neighborhood’s other famous story. Suyu, nearby, has more places to stay and eat. The Ssangmun-dong walk itself takes about an hour, not counting time in the market.
Which subway station is nearest to the walk?
Ssangmun Station — Exit 4 is pictured at the top of this guide. From there, use Naver Map (English UI) to reach Baegun Market, the starting point for the walk.
Is Baegun Market busiest on particular days?
Yes. The market is busiest on fifth-day market days, when vendors set up additional stalls. On other days it is a quieter working market.
Will this page use drama stills?
No. The only drama footage is Netflix’s official trailer, embedded from YouTube.
Sources
All sources for this guide
Accessed Sep 30, 2026 (Asia/Seoul) unless noted. Bolstering pass Oct 26, 2026: first-paragraph station line, FAQ +2, Sources +1; no spot statuses changed.
- Netflix — Squid Game
- Netflix Tudum — Squid Game locations guide
- Seoul City (Seoul Media Hub) — Squid Game filming locations in Seoul (2021)
- VisitSeoul — ‘Squid Game’ Locations in Seoul
- VisitKorea — Netflix’s No.1 drama in the world ‘Squid Game’
- Korea.net — ‘Squid Game’ filming locations in Seoul attract hordes of visitors
- Dobong-gu press release, via Newsis — Experience hall opens at Baegun Market (Dec 21, 2021)
- YTN — Squid Game locations, from Ssangmun-dong to Wolmido (Oct 14, 2021)
- The Fact — Squid Game locations and Ssangmun-dong
- Hanryu Times — Finding Squid Game scenes in Ssangmun-dong (Nov 18, 2021)
- Hankook Ilbo — Experience hall now an underwear shop (2023-08)
- VisitSeoul — Hallyu: K-Pop Tour (CU Ssangmun Uicheon Branch listing)
%20%E2%80%94%20kdramapins.com){kind=link}
