Tourist Season: How is Insa-dong?

Topics Discussed

Insa-dong as one of Joe and Shawn’s first experiences of Seoul
How the neighborhood has changed since the early 2000s
Traditional Korean incense and surviving specialty shops
The hidden waterways that shaped Insa-dong’s streets
Insa-dong during the late Joseon period and Korean Empire
How Japanese colonial rule helped create the antiques district
Looted temple and palace artifacts entering the antique trade
The rise of artists, galleries, tea houses, and literary culture
Crime and kidnapping in old Insa-dong
Poet Chun Sang-byeong and his abduction by the Korean intelligence services
Torture, political repression, and Chun’s disappearance
Insa-dong’s designation as Korea’s first cultural district
Starbucks, Hangul signage, and the commercialization of “traditional” Seoul
Ssamziegil and the transformation of Insa-dong into a shopping destination
Dragon’s Beard candy and Insa-dong’s changing street-food culture
The 2013 Insa-dong fire
Museums, galleries, traditional crafts, and what remains worth visiting
How nostalgia shapes the way longtime residents remember Insa-dong

Timestamps

00:00 Tourist Season introduction

02:10 Introducing Insa-dong and memories of old Seoul

05:00 How Insa-dong has changed

08:00 Traditional Korean incense and surviving old shops

25:10 The geography of Insa-dong and its buried waterways

30:00 Insa-dong during the Korean Empire

35:00 How Insa-dong became Seoul’s antiques district

39:00 Japanese colonial dealers and looted cultural artifacts

42:00 Crime and kidnapping in old Insa-dong

47:05 Poet Chun Sang-byeong and Seoul’s literary culture

48:55 Chun Sang-byeong’s abduction and torture

55:00 The legacy of Chun Sang-byeong

1:00:25 Insa-dong becomes Korea’s first cultural district

1:00:55 Starbucks and the famous Hangul sign

1:04:55 Ssamziegil and the commercialization of Insa-dong

1:09:00 Insa-dong street food

1:10:45 Dragon’s Beard candy

1:36:05 The 2013 Insa-dong fire

1:48:30 What remains worth seeing in Insa-dong

2:00:00 Museums, crafts, tea, and surviving cultural attractions

Mentioned During the Episode

Insa-dong
Cheonggyecheon
Jongno
Joseon Dynasty
Korean Empire
Japanese colonial period
Chun Sang-byeong
Ssamziegil
Starbucks Insa-dong
Dragon’s Beard candy
Korean traditional incense
Insa-dong antique dealers
Insa-dong art galleries
Traditional Korean tea houses
The 2013 Insa-dong fire

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About The Dark Side of Seoul

The Dark Side of Seoul explores Korea's hidden history, true crime, folklore, ghost stories, urban legends, disasters, political scandals, and the strange corners of Korean culture that rarely make it into guidebooks. Hosted by long-time Korea residents Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey, the show blends historical research, cultural analysis, and firsthand experience to examine the people, events, beliefs, and mysteries that have shaped the Korean peninsula.

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