Which Exit at Hongdae Station? Exit 9, Escalators and Where to Leave Your Luggage
We hopped off the train at Hongik University, tapped out at the gates, and Mia asked the question every single visitor asks here: “Okay… which exit?”
Fair question. Hongdae station is one of the busiest stations in Seoul. It has three train lines and a whole bunch of exits, and if you pick the wrong one with a suitcase in tow, you’ll find out the hard way. Here’s exactly how I walked her through it.
Exit 9: the front door to Hongdae
If you’re here for the fun stuff, exit 9 is the one. Walk out and you’re right in Hongdae: the shopping streets, little cafés, street food, buskers, the art and design shops, KT&G Sangsang Madang, and Hongik University itself. Our hotel was just around the corner from it too.
But here’s the catch. Exit 9 is stairs only. No escalator, and it’s narrow. On weekday mornings and evenings, and pretty much all weekend, people actually queue to get up those stairs. If you can, avoid exit 9 at rush hour and on weekends. If you’re travelling light and don’t mind waiting, the line does move. If you’re hauling a big suitcase, there’s an easier way.
Got a suitcase? Take exit 1 or 2
Exits 1 and 2 have escalators going both up and down. Come out there and walk round to where you need to go. It’s a few more steps on the street, but your arms will thank you.
Travelling with a stroller or a wheelchair? On the Line 2 side, exit 8 has the only street-level elevator. Please take the elevator with a stroller, not the escalator. Inside the station, every floor is connected by elevators and escalators, so you only need to think about this at the very last step.
Mia had just one bag, so we queued for exit 9 and I carried it up for her. Lifted, not dragged. Please don’t bump your wheels up the stairs. The people behind you will thank you.
| Exit | Getting up to the street | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | Escalators up and down | Suitcases, big bags |
| 8 | The only street elevator on the Line 2 side (fits about 15 people) | Strollers, wheelchairs, heavy luggage |
| 9 | Stairs only, narrow, often a queue at rush hour and on weekends | Travelling light, heading straight into Hongdae |
Good to know: Seoul Metro is planning a new exit 8-1 with escalators in both directions, targeted for 2028.
Coming from the airport train? Ride in the right car
The airport train (AREX) platform at Hongik University is deep underground. If you’re riding in from Incheon Airport, ride the all-stop train in car 3, door 3, the one closest to the platform elevator. Heading back to the airport on your last day? Use car 4, door 3.
Exits 1, 2, 8 and 9 are on the Line 2 side, so follow the green Line 2 signs through the transfer passage first. Elevators and escalators connect every level.
Going somewhere else from Hongdae?
| Line | Where it takes you |
|---|---|
| Line 2 (green) | Gangnam with no transfer, plus Sinchon, Ewha Womans University, City Hall and more. It’s a loop line around the city. |
| AREX (blue) | Seoul Station, Gimpo Airport and Incheon Airport |
| Gyeongui–Jungang Line | Yongsan and the eastern side of Seoul |
Need water or a charger? Convenience stores are everywhere
Seriously, there’s one on almost every corner in Hongdae. Water, snacks, phone chargers, umbrellas, and you can top up your T-money card at the counter with cash too. Mia grabbed a water. I grabbed a banana milk. Priorities.
Can’t check in yet? Leave your bags at the hotel
Most flights land hours before hotel check-in. Don’t drag your suitcase around Hongdae all afternoon. Head to your hotel first and ask at the front desk. Many hotels will keep your bags and give you a little claim tag until check-in time. It costs nothing to ask.
Just say: 짐 맡길 수 있어요? (jim mat-gil su i-sseo-yo?) = Can I leave my bags here?
Mia handed her suitcase over, got her tag, stretched her arms up and announced, “Free hands!” Then, a second later: “…but my face is dead.” Jet lag is real, folks.
No hotel yet? Store your bag at the station
Hongik University Station has a staffed T-Luggage centre on B1, in the AREX connecting passage. It’s open 09:00 to 22:00. You can leave your bag there for a few hours while you explore.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | B1, AREX connecting passage (between exits 2 and 3) |
| Hours | 09:00 to 22:00 |
| Price | About ₩3,000 to ₩13,000 for the first 4 hours, depending on bag size and weekday or weekend, then ₩1,000 per extra hour |
Sending your suitcase to the airport (or from it)
This one’s a lifesaver on your last day. With T-Luggage you can drop your suitcase at Hongik University, Seoul Station or Myeongdong station in the morning, go sightseeing with empty hands, and pick it up at the airport in the afternoon. Keep your passport, valuables, medicine and any power banks or spare batteries with you. Don’t send them in the suitcase.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Drop off | Hongik Univ., Seoul Station or Myeongdong station centre, 09:00 to 12:00 |
| Pick up | Terminal 1: 3F, opposite check-in counter B, from about 15:30 to 21:00 · Terminal 2: 3F, opposite check-in counter H, from about 16:30 to 21:00 |
| Price per bag | ₩20,000 to ₩31,000 on weekdays, ₩29,000 to ₩45,000 on weekends, depending on size (the rates T-Luggage lists for Terminal 2) |
| Book | Online at tluggage.co.kr or at a staffed centre |
Want your suitcase to go straight from the airport to your hotel instead? A few private luggage delivery services do that, for example ZIMCARRY, which has counters on the 3rd floor of Terminal 1. You book online before you fly, and your hotel needs a staffed front desk that accepts luggage. Prices and drop-off deadlines depend on the service, so compare them and check with your hotel before you book.
A little Korean to take with you
- 몇 번 출구예요? (myeot beon chul-gu-ye-yo?) = Which exit is it? (On the signs, 출구 (chul-gu) means “exit”.)
- 몇 번 게이트예요? (myeot beon ge-i-teu-ye-yo?) = Which exit? (you’ll hear locals say it this way too, but the signs always say 출구)
- 엘리베이터 어디예요? (el-li-be-i-teo eo-di-ye-yo?) = Where’s the elevator?
- 짐 맡길 수 있어요? (jim mat-gil su i-sseo-yo?) = Can I leave my bags here?
- 또 만나요! (tto man-na-yo) = See you again!
- Exit 9 = straight into Hongdae, but stairs only (queues at rush hour and weekends)
- Suitcase? Exits 1 and 2 have escalators · Stroller or wheelchair? Exit 8 has the street elevator
- Airport train (all-stop): car 3, door 3 into Hongdae · car 4, door 3 back to the airport, for the platform elevator
- Line 2 (green) = Gangnam, no transfer · AREX (blue) = Seoul Station and the airport
- Leave your bags at the hotel before check-in: 짐 맡길 수 있어요? (jim mat-gil su i-sseo-yo?) = Can I leave my bags here?
- T-Luggage at Hongik Univ. B1: storage 09:00 to 22:00, and same-day delivery to the airport (drop off 09:00 to 12:00)
Quick heads-up: I double-checked the details in October 2026 using Seoul Metro’s official data and the T-Luggage site, but stations and prices do change, so give it a quick look before you go. And if something’s changed, tell me in the comments and I’ll fix it!
This post is part of my little comic series First Day in Korea, where I help my friend Mia from Canada through her very first day here. You can catch the full episodes as Shorts on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram (@experiencekorea.jay).
Take care, and 또 만나요! (tto man-na-yo, “see you again!”)
Jay
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