← All guides WELCOME, FIRST TIME IN KOREA? · MBC every1 2017 · SEOUL, YONGIN AND HADONG

Welcome, First Time in Korea? in Seoul, Yongin and Hadong: 4 Spots (4 Reported)

All Welcome, First Time in Korea? filming locations →
VERIFIED 0 confirmed
4 reported
BASE Seoul, then
Hadong
ENTRY Varies
by place
CHECKED Oct 1, 2026

In spring 2026, KPop Demon Hunters co-director Chris Appelhans brought his family to Korea on MBC every1's travel show. These are the public places the episodes visited, in airing order.

One family's trip only (episodes aired May 21 to June 4, 2026). Places are listed in airing order. Restaurants without a published name, lodging and family homes are not listed.

Confirmed
backed by two or more official or press sources.
Reported
one official or press source.
Fan-spotted
identified by Korean fan researchers by matching scenes; not yet confirmed by official sources.
How we verify →

STOPS

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Episode of May 21, 2026

1 place in Gangnam-gu.

Reported · 2 sources cited · Checked Oct 1, 2026

1. Kukkiwon

국기원
Kukkiwon (location photo, not a drama still)
Photo: Seoul Institute / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)

In the May 21, 2026 episode, the family visits Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters, for a taekwondo session. Press coverage says the directors had visited it as an action reference while making KPop Demon Hunters.

GETTING THERE Gangnam, Seoul; find the route on Seoul Metro or Naver Map. ACCESS The world taekwondo headquarters. Check its official site for public programs and performance days.

More filming locations in Seoul · Gangnam-gu

Open in Google Maps ↗ Open in Naver Map ↗ Open in Kakao Map ↗

Plan the trip with Naver Map or Kakao Map or Seoul Metro (subway).

SOURCES (2)
  1. BizEnter (May 21, 2026)
  2. Topstar News (May 21, 2026)

Episode of May 28, 2026

1 place in Yongin.

Reported · 1 source cited · Checked Oct 1, 2026

2. Korean Folk Village

한국민속촌
Korean Folk Village (location photo, not a drama still)
Photo: karinckarinc / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)

In the May 28, 2026 episode, the family spends a day at the Korean Folk Village, according to Sports Kyunghyang.

GETTING THERE Yongin, south of Seoul; plan the trip with the Kakao Map and Naver Map links on this card. COST / TIME Ticketed (prices change; see the official site) · Half a day ACCESS An open-air folk museum and theme park. Check its official site for hours, tickets and performance times.

More filming locations in Gyeonggi

LAST MILE

Bus numbers and times are not listed here. Check the local bus app, or use the Kakao Map and Naver Map links on this card for today's route.

Getting around Korea →

Open in Google Maps ↗ Open in Naver Map ↗ Open in Kakao Map ↗

Plan the trip with Naver Map or Kakao Map or Korail (trains).

SOURCES (1)
  1. Sports Kyunghyang (May 27, 2026)

Episode of June 4, 2026

2 places in Hadong.

Reported · 1 source cited · Checked Oct 1, 2026

3. Hwagae Market

화개장터
Hwagae Market (location photo, not a drama still)
Photo: eimoberg / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)

In the Jun 4, 2026 episode, the family stops at Hwagae Market in Hadong and tries river oysters (beotgul), according to BizEnter.

GETTING THERE Hadong, South Gyeongsang; plan the trip with Korail and the Kakao Map and Naver Map links on this card. ACCESS A traditional market. Stalls and restaurants keep their own hours.

More filming locations in South Gyeongsang

LAST MILE

Bus numbers and times are not listed here. Check the local bus app, or use the Kakao Map and Naver Map links on this card for today's route.

Getting around Korea →

Open in Google Maps ↗ Open in Naver Map ↗ Open in Kakao Map ↗

Plan the trip with Naver Map or Kakao Map or Korail (trains).

SOURCES (1)
  1. BizEnter (Jun 4, 2026)
Reported · 2 sources cited · Checked Oct 1, 2026

4. House of Choi Champan

하동 최참판댁
House of Choi Champan, Hadong (location photo, not a drama still)
출처: 김지호, 한국관광공사, 공공누리 제1유형

In the same June 4 episode, the family visits the House of Choi Champan, the hanok complex known as the setting of Park Kyong-ni's novel Toji, according to BizEnter and Newsinstar.

GETTING THERE Hadong, South Gyeongsang; plan the trip with Korail and the Kakao Map and Naver Map links on this card. ACCESS A hanok complex open to visitors. Check its official page for hours and admission.

More filming locations in South Gyeongsang

LAST MILE

Bus numbers and times are not listed here. Check the local bus app, or use the Kakao Map and Naver Map links on this card for today's route.

Getting around Korea →

Open in Google Maps ↗ Open in Naver Map ↗ Open in Kakao Map ↗

Plan the trip with Naver Map or Kakao Map or Korail (trains).

SOURCES (2)
  1. BizEnter (Jun 4, 2026)
  2. Newsinstar (2026-06)

PLACES WE COULDN'T VERIFY

The Hadong restaurant where the family ate (not named in the publicity). Lodging and private places. The Sony Pictures office shown in the episode.

WHERE TO STAY

AFFILIATE LINKS · DISCLOSURE

Neighborhood hotel searches, not recommendations.

GangnamClose to Kukkiwon.Hotels on Expedia →HadongFor Hwagae Market and the Choi Champan house.Hotels on Expedia →

MORE DETAIL

Last checked: Oct 1, 2026

A KPop Demon Hunters director’s first family trip

Chris Appelhans co-directed KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s animated film set in Seoul. In April 2026 he flew in with his Korean wife and their young son to film a family trip for Welcome, First Time in Korea?, and press coverage said he was also looking for ideas for a sequel. The trip aired on MBC every1 from May 21 to Jun 4, 2026.

The places below follow the airing order. They are labeled reported because each one comes from the broadcaster’s episode publicity, carried by several outlets.

Kukkiwon and the Korean Folk Village

The first stop was Kukkiwon in Gangnam, the world taekwondo headquarters, where the family tried taekwondo. According to the coverage, the directors had visited Kukkiwon as an action reference while making the film. A week later the family spent a day at the Korean Folk Village in Yongin, south of Seoul.

Hadong

The June 4 episode moved to Hadong in South Gyeongsang: Hwagae Market, where they tried river oysters, and the House of Choi Champan, the hanok complex tied to Park Kyong-ni’s novel Toji. The Choi Champan house is also a drama filming location: Pressian reported Love in the Moonlight filming there in 2016.

Getting there

Seoul and Yongin

Find the route to Kukkiwon on Seoul Metro or Naver Map. For the Korean Folk Village, plan the trip from Seoul with Kakao Map or Naver Map.

Hadong, from Seoul or Busan

We have not checked these routes against an official timetable. Search for Hadong on Korail for trains on your travel date, and plan the last leg with a map app.

Sources

All sources for this guide

Accessed Oct 1, 2026 (Asia/Seoul) unless noted.

  1. Star News — Appelhans arrives to film Welcome, First Time in Korea? (Apr 1, 2026)
  2. Sports Kyunghyang — Family trip to Korea (May 15, 2026)
  3. BizEnter — Taekwondo at Kukkiwon (May 21, 2026)
  4. Topstar News — Kukkiwon visit (May 21, 2026)
  5. Sports Kyunghyang — Korean Folk Village (May 27, 2026)
  6. BizEnter — Hwagae Market and the Choi Champan house (Jun 4, 2026)
  7. Newsinstar — Choi Champan house episode (2026-06)
  8. Pressian — Dramas filmed at the Choi Champan house

New to transit in Korea? See Getting around Korea for map apps, transit cards and train booking.

FAQ

Is this a filming-location guide for KPop Demon Hunters?
No. These are the places the travel show Welcome, First Time in Korea? visited with the film's co-director in spring 2026. For the film's Seoul backdrops, see the KPop Demon Hunters pages on this site when available.
Why is every place labeled "reported"?
Each place comes from the broadcaster's episode publicity carried by press outlets, so each has only one source so far. "Reported" means a second, independent source is still missing.
Are the places listed in trip order?
They follow airing order: Kukkiwon (May 21) and the Korean Folk Village (May 28), then Hadong's Hwagae Market and the House of Choi Champan (June 4).
Where did the family stay?
Lodging and private places are not listed in this guide. Only public places appear.
Will this page use images from the show?
No.

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