[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Cupid's trails: Explore these four filming spots from hit romantic drama 'Lovely Runner'

K-campus

Published: 24 May. 2024, 16:13 Updated: 25 May. 2024, 12:41

[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Cupid's trails: Explore these four filming spots from hit romantic drama 'Lovely Runner'

Stills from ″Lovely Runner.″ Fans have been making trips to see the drama's various filming spots. [TVN]

The drama "Lovely Runner" is convincing avid fans to visit the romantic spots that appear in the tVN mega hit series.

Starring actors Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon as band vocalist Ryu Seon-jae and his adoring fan Lim Sol, the drama embraces a time-traveling theme through which Sol travels back and forth, finding her way out of destiny and coincidence. Its first episode aired on Feb. 8 and instantly started gathering attention among curious viewers. It is now the most popular K-drama currently, according to data from K-content analysis agency, GoodData Corporation, released on May 8.

The drama follows the tragic news of the superstar Seon-jae taking his own life and his fan Lim Sol struggling to fight off the future through her time trips. While Sol and Seon-jae develop their side of the love story, fans have also fallen in love with the drama's filming spots, the most central space being Haenggung-dong in Suwon, Gyeonggi. The historic town, home to Suwon Fortress and surrounding pavilions from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), seems to sprinkle romantic scenes with more sentiment and depth.

The drama constantly gained popularity, and its official pop-up store opened on May 23 at The Hyundai Seoul department store in Yeouido, western Seoul. Nationwide fans flocked to the venue, forming long queues and enduring strenuous hours of waiting for admission. However, you won't need to wait as long if you visit these four spots featured in the drama.

Here are the four filming spots of "Lovely Runner," compiled by the Korea JoongAng Daily.

mong Ted
몽테드

Ryu Sun-jae and Lim Sol's first acquaintance was shot at mong Ted, a cafe in Haenggung-dong, Suwon in Gyeonggi. [TVN]

Cafe mong Ted in Haenggung-dong, Suwon in Gyeonggi, is featured as Sol’s home, a friendly-looking house in a small neighborhood. Although the drama features the first floor out of three as a video rental shop and the rest as Sol's home, in real life, the second floor operates as a cafe, while the third floor is a private house and the ground floor is a nail shop. The vineyard-embroidered entrance is a familiar sight for many fans of the drama. Salt bread is one of the cafe's specialties but gets sold out quickly since the drama went viral.

Cafe mong Ted in Haenggung-dong, Suwon, Gyeonggi [KIM DONG-EUN]

Facing the cafe is a blue gate that appears as the main entrance to Ryu Seon-jae's home, where the couple shot an iconic scene under a yellow umbrella in the rain. According to the official owner of the cafe, the house with the blue gate is a private home and cannot be entered, but visitors can always snap some photos in front of the gate.

Haenggung-dong Mural Village in Hanggeung-dong [KIM DONG-EUN]

Sol does a byeok chigi on one of the streets with the wall painting, the action of slamming the wall with one's hand to lock a person within arm's reach, often used as a romantic gesture in K-dramas. A street with painted walls appears five minutes away by foot, marking the start of Haenggung-dong Mural Village. Walking through the village is a sweet and short course, only lasting around 15 minutes. Roses are in bloom toward the end of May, so now is the perfect time for a pleasant visit.

@mongted

14 Hwaseomun-ro 48beon-gil, Paldal District, Suwon, Gyeonggi
(경기 수원시 팔달구 화서문로48번길 14)
Operating hours: noon - 9 p.m. (Closed on Wednesdays)
Phone number: 0507-1338-9576

Hwahongmun
화홍문

A scene from ″Lovely Runner″ shot at Hwahongmun in Suwon, Gyeonggi [TVN]

Ten minutes away by foot from Haenggung-dong Mural Village appears Hwahongmun, a water gate area with a pavilion overlooking Suwon Stream. The pavilion was originally built to monitor the enemy's movement during the Joseon Dynasty, but now is a tourist spot with a great viewpoint. Hwahongmun is where Seon-jae comes clean and confesses his feelings toward Sol. Fireworks and the lit-up surroundings of the pavilion create a dramatic atmosphere.

A still from the tvN drama ″Lovely Runner″ [TVN]

Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion in Paldal District, Suwon, Gyeonggi [KIM DONG-EUN]

Right next to Hwahongmun is Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion, where the young couple rides a bike together at night. Banghwasuryujeong and the nearby pond, Yongyeon, are already famous among locals as peaceful picnic spots, but their nights are visit-worthy as well when the lights turn on and give off a mix of modern and historical vibes. Yongyeon, meaning a pond where a dragon nestles, adds tranquillity to the view from the pavilion.

Buksu-dong, Paldal District, Suwon, Gyeonggi
(경기 수원시 팔달구 북수동)

Seongbukcheon
성북천

The scene where Sol tripped while trying to retrieve Sun-jae's wristwatch was shot in Seongbukcheon in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul. [TVN]

Seongbukcheon is a 3.7-kilometer-long (2.3 miles) stream accessible five minutes by foot from Sungshin Women's University Station, subway line No. 4 in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul. The stream is where Sol travels back in time for the first time after she tries to retrieve Seon-jae's wristwatch from the water. As it is one of the most important scenes storyline-wise, the filming spot naturally gained recognition but has not yet gone as viral as those in Haenggung-dong.

During good weather, there are some outdoor stalls to eat at and seasonal flowers streamlining the path, providing a local hideout for residents and university students nearby. Seongbukcheon is not as crowded as other major streams found throughout Seoul like Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through downtown Seoul.

43-3 Bomun-ro 30-gil, Seongbuk District, northern Seoul
(서울 성북구 동선동2가)

Geumgang Bridge
금강교

A still from the tvN drama ″Lovely Runner″ [TVN]

Geumgang Bridge in Gongju, South Chungcheong, is where Sol meets Seon-jae once she travels back in time. Sol mistakes the bridge as the path to the world beyond, from where Seon-jae would never return. Desperate not to lose him, she clutches onto him to not leave and stay with her.

A scene from ″Lovely Runner″ shot at Geumgang Bridge in Suwon, Gyeonggi [TVN]

The bridge has a one-way driveway and a pedestrian path, on which many couples cross and take in the view of the Geum River underneath. On both sides of the bridge lay vast greenery, with Gongsan Fortress surrounded by a large park, while on the other side, a small island nestles with seasonal flower beds.

충남 공주시 금성동
(Geumgseong-dong, Gongju, South Chungcheong)

BY KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]