There is an elephant in the room. Well, not so much an elephant. More a chubby fellow in a natty suit and sunglasses dancing as if he’s riding an imaginary horse.

Gangnam is not the largest district of Seoul. (It ranks third.) It’s not the most populated. (With half a million inhabitants, it ranks fourth.) It’s not the most scenic. (Other areas of Seoul enjoy panoramic mountainside views; Gangnam occupies the flatlands on the south bank of the Han River.) And it harbors few historic sites. (Elsewhere in Seoul there are magnificently ancient palaces and monasteries.)

But Gangnam has Psy, South Korea’s first international pop superstar, and Psy introduced the world to Gangnam Style, the chic, playful hedonism that defines this affluent corner of the South Korean capital.

Skyscrapers in the
Gangnam district © Vincentstthomas | Dreamstime.com

Gangnam’s most important thoroughfare is Teheran-ro (Tehran Boulevard), lined with shiny skyscrapers housing many of the most prestigious Korean corporations and multinationals. This is the powerhouse not just of Gangnam but of South Korea, with sky-high real estate prices to match. (Estimates say the real estate value of Gangnam exceeds the entire real estate worth of South Korea’s second city, Busan.)

Standing proud at the western end of Teheran-ro is a complex of mirror-glass buildings known collectively as Samsung Town, the world headquarters of the Samsung conglomerate. At Samsung d’light, a three-floor annex accessed directly from Gangnam Metro Station, visitors can discover new and upcoming products from Samsung Electronics as well as max out their credit cards in the shop.

Just as Samsung d’light offers a window on the future of consumer electronics, so the riverside area of Apgujeong-dong provides a peek into the future of Korean (and Asian) fashion. Rodeo Street is Apgujeong-dong’s answer to Rodeo Drive. Here trends are set, the spiritual epicenter of Gangnam Style.

By day, Gangnam presents its corporate façade. By night, it transforms into a gaudy riot of neon. Gangnam’s restaurants and swanky nightclubs act as magnets for Seoul’s wealthiest fashionistas. But don’t come here expecting to hear Psy blasting out from nightclub sound systems while people crowd the dance floors on their imaginary horses.

Gangnam never rests on its laurels. Technology, music and fashion are in a constant state of change. By the time the rest of the world catches on to the trends started here, Gangnam has long since moved on.