COEX Mall

It’s Gundam! Where do I even begin? Most guys in their 30’s would know the days of “Mobile Suit Gundam,” which led the era of Japanese animation otherwise known as anime. The Gundam plastic models created due to the popularity of the anime Gundam was indeed a global hit. And lucky for the fans, Bandai's official store can be found inside COEX Mall. It not only showcases but also manufactures all-things-Gundam. You can find pretty much every plastic model from the SD (Super Deformed Grade) to the PG (Perfect Grade), as well as the limited edition models and newest releases, along with the tools required to assemble them. If you’re new to the world of Gundam, you can start with the HG (High Grade) series.

In Korea, the popularity of the Marvel Universe and its myriad of colorful characters is definitely high, thanks to the growing number of Marvel fanatics of this country. In the quiet corner of Megabox (one of the most popular movie theater chains in Korea) inside COEX, there sits Marvel Collection Enter Six. Four months after the opening of the world’s very first official Marvel store inside Park Avenue (located near Wangsimni and Hanyang University station), this official Marvel store had a second opening in June at Megabox COEX. Inside, you can basically find every Marvel character you could think of: Avengers heroes including the Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and so on, along with the heroes from the Guardians of Galaxy, the most recent Marvel hit Dr. Strange, X-men and Daredevil. Here is a list of Marvel related products you can purchase at the store: Hot Toys figures, DVDs, original comic books, stationery, accessories, clothing, electronic accessories such as portable batteries and headphones, and even skateboards! And as if the awesomeness couldn’t stop there, this store even carries Marvel hero printed face masks. The hottest section here is the Hot Toy Zone where hyper-realistic figures of the Marvel characters are created right in front of you. The detail is amazing, to the point where slight wrinkles and intentional flaws and blemishes are visible. Watching a 1/6th scaled version of your favorite Marvel heroes indeed makes time pass quickly (the price is

What oozes luxury more than a hotel? At Megabox Boutique M, you’ll be pampered with meticulous service and high-quality goods. Upon arrival, you’re presented with a welcome package that includes Evian water, a blanket and indoor slippers to wear in the theater. There are two types of theaters—Suite and Comfort, with the Suite being slightly more upscale. All of the theaters are named after hotel rooms (No. 101 to No. 105) and everything from premium beer to cocktails and desserts are available during the viewing.

TVXQ, SNSD, EXO, f(x) and other SM artists’ contents are all integrated in this space. Take the escalator between the ornate media walls and you may feel like you’re entering an amusement park. In addition to the shop that sells SM products, there’s SMTown Studio where you can train and film music videos and take photographs like a celebrity; SMTown Theatre for musicals, concerts and other performances; an archive café and more. If you’re a SM fan, this is your mecca. Celebrity Shop SUMThis shop sells merchandise with your favorite artists on it, such as calendars and CDs, but it is also a lifestyle shop that sells your artist’sfavorite products and goods that SM artists collaborated on with other  designers. There is even a SUM Market where you can buy items, such as SHINee jjajang ramen, Super Junior potato chips and Red Velvet sparkling water. These products fly off the shelves quick so get them while you can.SM Town StudioThis is a space where you can get vocal and dance training like real SM artists do, then have your hair and makeup done for a photo shoot and film a music video. After your vocal training session, you can  record your own music to make a one-of-a-kind record. Prices vary, but it seems K-pop fans from everywhere are willing to pay whatever the cost, as the experience is immensely popular.SMTown TheatreThis 800-seat theater sells out almost every day. Eighty percent of the audience members are Japanese or Chinese fans that come to watch the hologram musica

“Where’s this music coming from?” You might ask yourself as you hear live music played somewhere whilst you stroll through the COEX mall. Inside a rather sterile-looking mall, “street performance” may sound quite awkward for most. But once you find the skilled indie bands, vocalists, Korean traditional percussion groups, guitarists and B-boys taking their stage to this unusual venue, you’ll soon realize that your mood and spirits getting lifted. The COEX mall fully supports busking and provides performance venues (a plaza inside the mall) and equipment to amateur musicians, whereby the musicians are provided with free space to perform in, and the audience can enjoy high quality music for free. In addition to the venue and equipment, the COEX mall also provides publicity through its website and network platforms. Is it sustainable, though? At the moment, there are more than 100 shows a month, and more than 1,000 times a year. Artists and buskers who are interested in performing here can apply via the COEX mall website (www.coexmall.com) or the Buskingplay website (www.buskingplay.com). The performance schedule is available on the COEX mall website, the official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/coexmall), or its blog (http://blog.naver.com/coexmall_blog).