Itaewon Class: A Story of Burning Youth
Itaewon Class (2020, JTBC) is a drama about defiance, resilience, and the stubborn refusal to let the powerful win. Based on the enormously popular webtoon of the same name by Gwang Jin, the series stars Park Seo-joon as Park Saeroyi, a young man whose life is upended when his father is killed in a hit-and-run orchestrated by the chairman of Jangga Group, a dominant food industry conglomerate. After serving a prison sentence for assaulting the chairman's son, Saeroyi channels his rage and grief into opening a small bar-restaurant called DanBam (meaning "sweet night") in the multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon. Surrounding himself with a crew of loyal misfits — including the fiercely intelligent Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi) and the gentle ex-convict Choi Seung-kwon (Ryu Kyung-soo) — he wages a long campaign to dismantle the empire that destroyed his family. The drama peaked at a 16.5% viewership rating on JTBC and became a massive hit on Netflix globally, resonating with audiences who identified with its themes of class struggle, entrepreneurial grit, and fighting systemic injustice. The DanBam pocha (bar) phenomenon extended beyond the screen: real-world bars and restaurants across Seoul adopted the DanBam name and aesthetic, and the drama is credited with reigniting international tourist interest in the Itaewon neighborhood.
Behind the Scenes
The production team made the deliberate choice to film on the real streets of Itaewon rather than relying on studio sets, giving the drama an authentic urban energy that resonated with viewers familiar with the neighborhood. The exterior of DanBam was a carefully designed set built into an actual storefront along Gyeongridan-gil, the hilly side street that runs upward from the main Itaewon boulevard toward Namsan. The set designers gave the bar a warm, slightly rough-around-the-edges look that contrasted sharply with the sleek corporate restaurants of the rival Jangga Group. Because much of the drama's action takes place at night — bar scenes, confrontations on rain-slicked streets, quiet conversations after closing — the crew spent many long nights filming in the neighborhood, sometimes wrapping only as dawn approached. The night filming episodes required careful management of noise and lighting to avoid disturbing residents while still capturing the neon-lit, vibrant atmosphere that defines Itaewon after dark. The broader Gyeongridan-gil area, with its steep inclines, narrow alleys, and eclectic mix of international restaurants and independent shops, provided ready-made visual texture that no studio could replicate. Additional scenes were filmed along Noksapyeong-daero, the wide boulevard that serves as Itaewon's main artery, where Saeroyi's determined walks became one of the drama's recurring visual motifs.
Filming Location Travel Guide
The drama's filming locations are conveniently clustered in a compact area that can be covered on foot in a single evening. The recommended route begins at Noksapyeong Station on Subway Line 6, Exit 2. From there, walk approximately 10 minutes uphill along Gyeongridan-gil, the sloping street lined with cafes, bistros, and vintage shops that served as DanBam's neighborhood. The actual DanBam storefront location is on this stretch (though the set has been removed, the street retains the same character). At the top of Gyeongridan-gil, you can cut across to the main Itaewon boulevard and walk toward Itaewon Station on Line 6, a route of about 15 minutes that takes you through the heart of the neighborhood's commercial strip. Alternatively, from Noksapyeong Station, head straight down Noksapyeong-daero toward Itaewon Station, a flat 5-minute walk along the boulevard where Saeroyi's walking scenes were filmed. The best time to visit is evening, ideally after 6 PM, when the restaurants and bars open their doors, the street food vendors set up their stalls, and the neighborhood comes alive with the same energy captured in the drama. On weekends, the area stays lively until well past midnight.
Fan Pilgrimages
Since the drama aired, Gyeongridan-gil has seen a wave of DanBam-inspired bars and restaurants, some openly modeled after the fictional establishment with similar signage, lighting, and Korean pub-style menus. While the original set is no longer standing, the street itself is instantly recognizable to fans, and finding the approximate location of DanBam based on the drama's establishing shots has become a popular activity. International tourists, particularly from Southeast Asia and Japan, have cited the drama as a primary reason for visiting Itaewon, and the neighborhood's tourism information center has reported increased English-language inquiries about filming locations. Popular photo spots include the intersection where Saeroyi confronts the Jangga chairman, the steep stairway that Yi-seo climbs in the opening credits, and the stretch of Noksapyeong-daero where Saeroyi walks purposefully toward his goals in the drama's most iconic visual. On social media, fans share their own recreations of scenes, often posing with the same chestnut-colored short haircut that Park Seo-joon made famous. The drama also brought renewed attention to Itaewon's unique identity as Seoul's most multicultural district, where Korean, American, Middle Eastern, African, and South Asian cultures intersect on a single city block.
Nearby Food & Attractions
Itaewon is arguably Seoul's most diverse dining neighborhood, and exploring its restaurants is a natural extension of the drama experience. The streets are packed with multicultural restaurants — authentic Turkish kebab shops, Indian curry houses, Nigerian suya grills, Mexican taquerias, and craft burger joints sit side by side with traditional Korean fried chicken and soju bars. For a more refined experience, the adjacent Hannam-dong neighborhood has become Seoul's gallery district, home to contemporary art spaces like the Leeum Museum of Art (Samsung Foundation) and a growing number of independent galleries housed in converted residences. The area is also known for its upscale cafes and boutique shops. From Itaewon, Namsan Tower is within striking distance: a 30-minute uphill walk or a short bus ride to the cable car base station brings you to one of Seoul's most recognizable landmarks, which offers sweeping panoramic views of the entire city. For accommodation, Itaewon itself has numerous boutique hotels and guesthouses catering to international travelers, with the advantage of being centrally located and well-connected via Line 6 to the rest of Seoul's attractions.
