Seoul Subway Line 4 Guide: Myeongdong, Namsan Tower, Dongdaemun

Seoul Subway Line 4 (Light Blue) is the most tourist-trafficked line alongside Line 2. It runs north–south through the shopping and culture core of Seoul — Myeongdong, Namsan, Dongdaemun, Hyehwa — and extends out to Ansan and Oido.

Route Overview

• Color: Light Blue (Line 4)
• Length: 73.3 km, 48 stations (including Ansan Line section)
• Time from Seoul Station to Dongdaemun: ~10 minutes
• Note: Line 4 stations transition onto Korail's Ansan Line at Geumjeong, running toward Oido

Must-Visit Stations

Myeongdong (명동, 424)

Seoul's shopping heart. Exit 6/7 opens directly into Myeongdong's pedestrian shopping street — cosmetics, street food, K-pop pop-ups. Exit 3 for the Namsan Cable Car base station (10 min walk), which climbs to N Seoul Tower.

Chungmuro (충무로, 423)

Transfer to Line 3. Exit 2 for the Namsangol Hanok Village, a quieter traditional village than Bukchon. Also home to the Korean Film Council building.

Dongdaemun (동대문, 421)

Transfer to Line 1. Exit 9 for Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) by night. Exit 7 for the 24-hour wholesale fashion malls (Migliore, Doota).

Hyehwa (혜화, 420) — Daehakro

Theatre district. Exit 1 for Daehakro (대학로) — 100+ small theaters, indie live music. Exit 2 for Naksan Park, a quiet hilltop with the old city wall and sunset views.

Seoul Station (서울역, 426)

Transfer to Line 1, AREX, KTX. Exit 2 for Seoullo 7017 elevated park.

Transfer Tips

• Seoul Station: Line 1, AREX, KTX — main hub
• Chungmuro: Line 3 — palaces, Insadong
• Dongdaemun: Line 1, 2 (at DDP station) — old city center
• Samgakji: Line 6 — Itaewon direction
• Sadang: Line 2 — Gangnam loop

Tip: Myeongdong Station is very crowded 11 AM–8 PM daily. For photos of the empty street, arrive before 10 AM.