Reasons why you should visit SM Town COEX Artium !

Assalamualaikum (peace be upon you) .

I just got back from Seoul ^^ it's a loooong journey from London to Seoul T.T I still enjoyed it though!

Oh hello Taemin !

SM Town Coex Artium is situated in Gangnam right next to the COEX Mall. You're not gonna miss it if you're thinking of going to COEX Mall. Taemin just had his comeback promotion when I visited Seoul, so they had his album cover in front of the building!

What each floors (levels) in this mall have?

Reason why you SHOULD visit :D

I strongly recommend you to visit this place. It's a heaven for you (especially SM Town die hard fans!).


1. Photoshoot for your new profile picture !

All floors ( I mean levels ) have their wall filled with SM Artists' photos. EXO, TVXQ, SHINEE SNSD and Super Junior are the most common faces you can see on the wall. Mostly in black and white and different sizes! Just make sure you have enough memory in your phone or camera. I bet you'll take picture in every inch of the floor! I didn'--- cuz I went there alone -_-' Next time I will bring my friend~ Mian chingu~



If you still want to take picture with idols, then head to the 5th floor ! They have a photo machine where you can take pictures with them! I did took with Kai and Xiumin at first, but twice I got it ruined---moved at the moment when the camera took my photos -__-' So I just had my photos taken with Chanyeol and Sehun :D
 

I though someone was looking at me and when I turned, it's Chanyeol's life size standee kekekeke

 2. You wanted to experience life as a debuting idol / a real idol.

On the third floor, SMTown Studio provides make up and hair package for photoshoot, dance class, and audio/song/video recording! It's expensive, so starts saving up some money if you really want to do this! When I went there, it is written sold out. So in case you really want to attend it, book it online to secure your place as there are limited places and classes.

3. You want to have a sip of EXO ice tea.. or Super Junior maybe.. if not maybe SNSD :)

They have drinks, ice creams, macarons, cookies, jams etc there. The menu shows only drinks and ice cream if I'm not mistake. It ranges between 4000KRW to 99000KRW. When I went there, there's an event where if you buy EXO's food there (not including the SUM market I think, just the cafe) more than 10000KRW, you'll get a postcard to send to one EXO member. If you are chosen, then you'll get a reply from that member! It is interesting and we can see there a good business strategy in making sure they got some profits each day!  I would if I'm a die hard fan of EXO but sorry cuz I'm not. So, I did see the girls there buying EXO's drink (where you'll get a bottle with the drink) and ice cream so that it totals up to 10000KRW. They looks really excited, I would if I'm an EXO die hard fan :D

my EXO ice tea (actually it's just a peppermint tea :D)

4. Nothing to munch on while watching Red Velvet's performance or need to pop out air in your ears while in the plane with Super Junior nuts?

Shop with Chanyeol ~

These are what they have on the 4th floor! It's like a big cafe. A small part of it is the SUM Market where they sell these things ( below ) ...

They have a lot of things that I will list below!

 These aren't the only things they have in SUM Market! Here a list of what they have there.

•  Flavoured chips
•  Flavoured popcorns
•  Flavoured EXO laver snacks 
•  Super Junior Jjampong and Jjajang ramen
•  Fruits tea ( each flavour has different artists on it )
•  Nuts 
•  Flavoured sparkling water
•  Chocolates 
•  Pepero with EXO members name and face on it
•  Korean ginseng ( with TVXQ on it!)
• SHINEE sausages!
• F(X) gums!
• EXO honey tubes ( also in jar )

These are what I remembered. There might be other goods that I forgot to take picture and eventually forgot about it :)


5. Fill the whole day of your life with SM Artists songs and music videos :D

They'll be playing music video on the 5th floor on a huge LCD screen. It's satisfying; believe me~ You will listen to songs everywhere, like I was literally singing along all the time I'm in the building. I just hang out at their community hall where they have cube stools and some of them have autograph at the side, and watch SNSD's and Taemin's MV. You can just relax there, googling way to go back (since I don't have data) home :D

6. Haven't experience hologram concert or had but you wanted to see more?

SM Town Coex Artium has it ! During my visit, they have EXO Tokyo Dome Concert, Musical and another show which obviously I can't remember. They have it at different time. So make sure you go at the right time or just go there early and spend some time wondering around the mall ! :D

7. SM Official Goods collector !

products they're endorsing also are sold there.

that GIANT posters ~.~

  Most of the goods can be founded on the 2nd floor where the SUM shop is ! ^^ They have everything there. Including shirts, tote bags, cups, bottle, necklace, rings and even dog's clothes!  For me who is not a die hard fan, the goods are considered as expensive. A tote bag costs around 25,000KRW. I was going to buy Taeyeon's tote bag and got shocked when I saw the price.... I rather spend my money on Ted Baker's shopping bag which is waterproof :) *my own opinion though*

SMTown Gallery which is located on the 5th floor has bunch of giant poster that can fill your room's wall. The price is high around 100,000KRW+ but if you have money and it gives you a big satisfaction to get to stare at it for your whole life, then buy it! ^^ It's not going to be hard to take back because they put it into a big poster tube. So don't worry about that :)


EXTRA : If you're lucky enough, SM Town might be having a free exhibition on 6th floor. Do go there and take a look. When I visited, there was a exhibition on SHINEE however I didn't manage to see the exhibition as I'm in a rush to get a bus to get back home before dark. Pay attention to all notices that they put on the wall and in front of the escalator :D


So that's the main reasons that I think you should pay a visit to SM Town COEX Artium, at least once if you're thinking of visiting Seoul soon ! You'll enjoy yourself! If you're traveling alone (like me), then bring a monopod/selfie stick/whatever you call it and just do whatever you want. You're not living there forever aren't you? Have a nice chat with other foreigners too. You might find new friends there ! ^^ Have a nice day .

"You're a girl and you're travelling alone?" What matters and what not?

Assalamualaikum.

Yes~ It has been long since I last wrote here. :)

So. A girl and you travel alone? Whisper of doubts you can hear and see from people around you. *sigh*

Is there a written rule on traveling that 'GIRLS can't travel ALONE'?
And guys CAN?

I've once had the 'wth shocked face' and ask a girl that went to travel alone to Scotland (she's staying in the same room as us) --- "You're here alone? Wow, you're so brave!"

She replied, "why people always think that women can't travel alone? Do we have to go everywhere with someone we knew?" . That shocked me. That's the moment that I realized, how narrow minded I am... I am a GIRL and I can do ANYTHING that I wanted to !

and therefore I decided to explore South Korea alone. I DID IT! I TRAVELED ALONE!

Several things matter in traveling alone though.. These are my experiences.

1. Your chosen country. 

For the paranoid people _ like me _ ; choose a country that you have been to. Countries that you are familiar with. For someone who would love it to be more challenging can choose a new country that you haven't explore. It is just a matter of how well you could adapt to the country's culture, food and people.

I choose Seoul, S. Korea because I have been there. Even if I haven't, I will still go : P It is such a nice country with nice people. I wanted to see their cherry blossom so much and decided to go from London even though it costs me like triple compared going from Malaysia T.T

2. Accommodation.

I choose a homestay where I stayed with the host. It is quite pricey as you'll be staying with the family and they'll give you breakfast everyday ( Korean breakfast too! Oh rice~~ We; Asian eat rice! ). If you were thinking to get more new friends, choose to live in a hostel ! It is cheaper and you get to meet new people ( or even a handsome oppa ) !

Since you are traveling alone, pay more attention on where are you staying as you might hanging out late at night :) My chosen accommodation this time is surrounded with cafes and pubs. So I prefer not to go out at night - since I need to walk into alleys that is SUPER SILENT after going through a lots of pubs ~.~.  And since my jet lag didn't get any better until the last day I stayed there -_-" I slept at 3pm once and 8pm other days ~.~

I also make sure that my accommodation is near to the subway station and even better if there's a airport limousine bus stand there! You won't have to spend money on taxi if you think you can't carry you luggage wayyyyy downstairs to the subway station :)

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These two factors are what matters for me :) Other things such as how weird they're looking at you when you're the only girl who wears scarf on the bus... Just ignore it. I've been through it since I'm in UK.

Traveling alone will make you realized about your surrounding more; the people, the food, the culture. I also made some new friends from around the world - plus Malaysian too! It is an opportunity for you to talk with people! Just to get to know them and if you wanted; stay connected through numbers of social media that we have nowadays :)