COEX: The World's Largest Underground Mall
Written by Kyle on Saturday, June 20, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' normal
The World's Largest Undeground Mall! It sounds exciting at first, but then you realize 2 things: 1) There probably aren't that many malls underground and 2) it's a mall. Feelin' normal
It reminds me of The World's Largest Sitting Bronze Buddah on Lantau island in Hong Kong. Granted, it's an impressive statue, but then someone told me that there were larger sitting buddahs in the world, they were just made out of something else that wasn't bronze. And there are really large reclining buddahs. The one in Hong Kong, was large, sitting, and bronze, therefore it gets the distinction. So, if you're looking for large, bronze buddahs, Hong Kong is the place, and if you prefer to do subterranian shopping, go to COEX Mall in Seoul.
The first thing that struck me about COEX was that it looked kind of like any other mall, except that I can't read the map. After about 5 minutes, though, the same thought hit me that usually hits me in Korean public spaces: "There's a crap ton of people here!" I'm slowly getting used to it, but it's still jarring to be litterally running into people everywhere that you step.
Most of the mall is pretty, well, mall-ish, but we did find a couple of unique things that we probably wouldn't find back home. First, we found a video arcade. Video arcades by themselves are not remarkable things, but there were a couple of quintessentially Korean things, starting with the crowd watching someone play a video game. Most Korean people under 30 play video games like they're training to be a pro. That would be funny, but there are actually video game playing leagues where games are broadcast on national TV. Apparently, this guy was really awesome at whatever game he was playing because he had a crowd of about 30 people glued to what he was doing:
And most awesomely, we found a sort of circus game where you pay money to shoot rubber pellets at stuffed animals. I don't have anything against spongebob, but for some reason, it was fun pointing a gun at his yellow head.
All, in all, COEX is a mall and it is what it is. But for rainy days (or for a really nice bomb shelter), it's a good place to pass the time.
Comments on "COEX: The World's Largest Underground Mall"
That's true. I was so excited by the awesome mall-ness that I misinformed our readers. In any case, "world's largest" makes for a better title :)
I'm glad you're forthcoming that I schooled you in Boggle. :)
I live in Toronto and have gone into the underground PATH network many times and still get lost because it's so huge. It's situated in our business section in downtown Toronto. It's like a city below the city. I just read the other day they are extending it and making it even bigger. It's interesting to know that Korea has one like it too.
Thanks for all of the mall details! All I want to know is what is above it out in the sunshine? Why did they dig it underground? Does it flood in rain storms? And....... Where did they put all of the rocks and dirt from the digging??? I'll bet they mounded it all up into a new ski hill for more recreation nearby the mall.............. I hope you get to see a movie once you learn to tell time!!!
The movie time mix-up was pretty sad, and totally my fault. I'm terrible with the 24-hour clock, and always mix up 20 & 22 hours. Some day Kyle will get to see the new Star Wars movie!
My mind is getting a little Boggled. Let's see... It seems that you've expanded your Horizons with a new experience, but had to go Below Grade to do it? Really! And then you had to Ditch the flick? Truly the Pits. Is this on the Up & Up? Level with me. Oh dear. I'm getting confused. Is there a way outta this? LOL
goofball!!
This is like a weird dream I once had. kewl!
My question is the same as Dad's......what is above the mall?.....housing, a park, streets? If you see a film in Korea is it in Korean with English subtitles? In winter, when your outside options are more limited, maybe you could join one of those video game clubs....good exercise....for thumbs! Can't wait for your return so we call all Boggle!
The Co-Ex Mall is part of this large complex with a convention center and underneath large World Trade Center towers and an Intercontinental Hotel. So it's very happening part of town not far from the baseball stadium.
The movies here are either in English with Korean subtitles or dubbed with Korean, which wouldn't be very fun for us! They also have a pretty large film industry & there are loads of popular Korean movies. Right now there's a bloody thriller out now about 5 murdering school girls - little to close to life for us!
In the same vein as the reclining, bronze Budha thing, Toronto's PATH network, with 371,600 square metres of retail space, is considered by Guinness to be the largest underground shopping complex in the world. COEX is apparently only 85,000 square metres, which makes it the largest underground shopping complex in Asia, but not the world.
by Greg Wesson at June 24, 2009 11:27 AMHows that for arcane!
Greg