Venturing out into the expanse of Seoul, away from hotels and convention centers, our fam group discovered several venues ripe for meetings and corporate affairs, including Korea House, a comprehensive complex popular for a slew of grand-scale events.
Encompassing several detached buildings and traditional Korean architecture, guests can take kimchi (the spicy cabbage group that is the staple of Korean cuisine heritage) classes, attend traditional weddings, witness traditional arts performances or embark on handicraft tours. One can book the entire property for large functions or split up time between the various components of the complex.
Designed by the renowned Zaha Hadid, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) opened a year ago and resembles a futuristic spaceship effortlessly intertwining with the surrounding motorways and landscapes. On the inside, several ultra-high-tech, modern and futuristic rooms conjure up a wide array of options as we explored the innards of the complex. I could envision fashion shows, concerts, meetings and conferences unfolding all at the same time. Not one right angle appears anywhere inside the building, and there’s a child care center, a gift shop, a designers’ lounge and gallery space, plus grass hills outside and areas for both indoor and outdoor video projection. Planners heavily into nouveau art, design and technology will salivate over the entire complex.
Equally impressive is Some Sevit, a combination of three huge artificial islands on which we discovered a picturesque array of venues. Literally on the river, each building features numerous configurations for groups and each one lights up at night, progressing through a rainbow of colors that reflect the water in majestic fashion. Convention halls, performance spaces, restaurants, pubs and breakout rooms all present themselves to us in grand-scale fashion. Both resplendent outdoor get-togethers and tight-knit affairs in the most intimate of restaurant spaces could be successfully held here.
Back in the city proper, Min’s Club is a restaurant with specifically named rooms, such as the Cafe Room and the Library Room. A modern Hanok, or Korean-style house, built in 1936 by architect Gil-Yong Park, Min’s was formerly a traditional house of nobles, then renovated to boost tourism and business meetings. The idea is to create a space where Koreans and foreigners alike can appreciate early 20th-century Korean living.
