My trip to Suwon taught me a thing or two about tourism and marketing. Like everyone else in Korea with a social media account, I was bombarded with reels of the new library in Suwon. As a book lover who can spend days in bookstores, I had to see this library for myself. I live far away, but a five-day trip to Seoul with one free day presented the perfect opportunity to finally visit.
For those not familiar with the area, Suwon is connected to Seoul by subway. Depending on your starting point, it's only about an hour away. You can take Line 1, or you can take Line 4 to Geumjeong Station and transfer to Line 1.
Suwon Starfield Library: Worth the Hype?
To get to the library, exit at Hwaseo station. You’ll cross the road via an underpass, then cross another street at the traffic lights to get to the Starfield Mall, which you'll see as soon as you come out of the underpass. The library is located on the 4th floor of the mall.
For anyone who's seen the videos circulating on social media, the library will be a bit underwhelming. It's not that the video's make it seem better than it is; it’s just that there isn’t much more to it than what you’ve already seen. That said, it’s a stunning and very Instagrammable spot, perfect for taking a break between shopping. If that's what you came for.
If you’re pre-fluent in Korean, like me, you might be disappointed to find that there aren't any English books available. Just a handful of magazines. However, there are discount coupons near the book-finder computers. These offer a 5% discount at the Yeongpung bookstore on the same floor, where they also don't have any English books.
Cornerstone Café
In this day and age, it’s rare to find true “hidden gems,” but this café definitely felt like one. Tucked away in a corner (as the name suggests) at the end of an alley, you’ll first pass a seemingly popular, kitschy hanok-style burger restaurant. While I’m usually not one for government interference, kitschy hanok should be forbidden.
The café is small and cozy. It was packed, so I couldn’t take many pictures without invading people’s privacy. Fortunately, the few photos I did capture convey the ambiance well—just imagine many couples and friend groups socializing over coffee. The menu is pretty unique. I recommend trying one of their four signature coffees. I had the Pretzel Latte, which was fantastic. They also had Oreo churros, which I couldn’t resist ordering even though I’d just had lunch.
Suwon Hwaseong Fortress
After my coffee break, I walked toward Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. The neighborhood reminded me a bit of Haeridangil in Haeundae (Busan) but larger, leaving me with the feeling that I’d definitely want to return when I have more time.
Hwaseong Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a unique blend of traditional Korean architecture and advanced military technology. It was built during the Joseon dynasty as part of a broader vision to create a strategic city.
You can walk along the 5.7 km walls and visit the different gates: Janganmun (the largest), Paldalmun, Hwaseomun, and Changnyongmun. Given the limited time and the ridiculous temperature, I only walked about a kilometer around Hwaseomun Gate but still managed to capture some stunning photos. I particularly enjoyed how the fortress blends with the cityscape in the background.
I’m glad I took the opportunity to visit Suwon, even if it was just for half a day. The library is definitely overhyped, but the glimpses I caught of the city exceeded my expectations. This brings me to the tourism and marketing lesson: All a city really needs is one viral video to draw tourists in, and they’ll spend the rest of their time exploring what the city really has to offer.
