 
The area around Gangnam ("Gangnam" means south of the river) Station (subway) represents the
social center for the area south of the Han River and also the one of the busiest areas of Seoul. One
main reason is that the subway station is at the junction of the green (#2) and blue (#4) lines, making
it a convenient meeting place from almost any place in Seoul. The area also forms the entryway to
Tehran-no, Korea's concentration of high technology venture firms and Internet start-ups. Many workers
from there can easily come here after work (if they ever stop working) and hangout with friends.
Several movie theaters, dozens of restaurants, and many bars cater to the crowds. At night, many
p'och'angmachas (rolling food stalls) open up their tents. Many of the beer halls
and clubs stay open until 2:00 or 4:00 a.m. A few restaurants stay open 24 hours.
Many things cost more here than in the Kangbuk (north of the Han
River) area. However, as Gangnam is newer than other areas, the places tend to be cleaner and attract
many from the younger generation.
Gangnam also has a number of video game rooms, especially in the underground arcade in the subway
station. The fad these days is 'Pump,' a video dance machine. Large crowds form to watch the good
dancers bopping around the game platforms. Many IT workers can be found playing video games, as if
they did not get enough of computers all day long at their jobs. More difficult to find than in older
areas, you can still find an occasional fortune teller.
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