The Hyundai Group has opened several libraries in Seoul with the intention of turning it into a city of arts and culture, including the Design Library (Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu), the Travel Library (Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu), the Music Library (Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu), the Cooking Library (Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu), and the Vinyl & Plastic (Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu), which sells vinyl records and CDs.
These libraries are scattered all over Seoul, and you must have a Hyundai credit card to enter. However, the only exception is this VINYL & PLASTIC, which is completely open to the public. Take subway line 6 to Itaewon Station (이태원역), which is probably one of the busiest stations in the Gangbuk area.
If you are a fan of Korean dramas, you will know that this year's hottest drama "Itaewon Class" (이태원클라쓰) took place here. Since the largest U.S. military base in Seoul is located in Yongsan district, Itaewon naturally has a large number of foreigners, and embassies from all over the world are also set up in Itaewon, and exotic restaurants abound.
From Itaewon Station Exit 3, walk along the largest Itaewon Road for 10 minutes and you will first see the Music Library with a prominent appearance, and a few steps further on, next door is VINYL & PLASTIC. The two-story building is designed with openwork steel pillars and glass, making it very clean and bright.
As soon as you enter the store, you can see the best and most recommended items, while the right-hand side of the store offers vinyl players, and the left-hand side has a large space with more than a dozen players for demo. to listen carefully. You can play it yourself or ask the staff to help you, and they'll come right over with a wave of their hand. If you like what you hear, you can choose from 7,200 different types of vinyl.
If you're not ready to enter the world of vinyl, head up to the second floor, where you'll find a collection of over 16,000 CDs and DVDs, and of course, K-pop is definitely the big one, from BTS, EXO, Red Velvet to BLACKPINK, regardless of the era. Classical, jazz, punk, electronic music and other genres are also available. When you're tired of shopping, there's also a coffee shop on the second floor where you can sit down and rest your legs.
현대카드 VINYL & PLASTIC
248 Itaewon Road, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (서울별시 용산구 이태원로 248)
12:00pm-21:00pm (Tuesday-Saturday), 12:00pm-18:00pm (Sunday), Closed on Monday
Got any favorite vinyl stores in your pocket list? Let us know, and we could cover it!
