As the number of freelancers, start-ups, independent developers or web-designers is increasing in Korea, there are more people roaming around looking for a place to work. As there are increasing number of coworking places in Korea, I want to share some information on coworking spaces in Korea that I’ve been visited. Let’s start with Seoul Startup Hub.

General Info

Seoul Startup Hub is located in Mapo district, Seoul. It is close to Gongdeok station(line number 5). Both historically and currently, Mapo district is the area well-known for business offices. You can easily find businessmen with suit and tie everywhere when you walk down the street here. Mapo is also close to the university district where couple of Korea’s prestigious universities are located: Yonsei Unviersity, Ewha Women’s University and Hongik University.

Unlike other coworking spaces, Seoul Startup hub is operated by Seoul City government. It was established to promote startups in Korea by providing free office spaces and necessary resources including business consulting and finances. As the world praises for the triumph of Silicon Valley, it became an upsurge trend in which governments encouraging people to establish startups. Korea is one of them.

Personal Review

It’s size is quiet large compared to other privatly owned coworking spaces. The building has 10 floors which first and second floors are open for anyone. One of the best thing for using the facility is that it’s FREE. Literally anyone can grab a seat and work from 9AM to 9PM. You can find anything you need in the building: cafe, convience store, ATM and cafeteria. You don’t have to go outside to buy a cup of coffee, unless you are very picky about coffe brand and want coffee from Starbucks specifically.

The hub is ideal for working environemnt that has everything you need from wireless internet to several outlets for charging devices. The environment is somewhat casual compared to other business offices. My famous spot is the “eggshell hanging chair” on the second floor where I sometimes take a nap after the lunch :). The place is definitely helpful for pre-startups or freelancers who have tight budget but need proper working environment.

The hub also has a studio where you can shoot an advertisement or take product photographs for FREE. You can easily reserve the studio in two weeks advance via the official website. If you want to experience what Korean businessmen normally eat for lunch, go to the third floor where the cafeteria is located. You will definitely have the experience of real Korean food for just KRW 6,000. Don’t forget to ride the slide when you come down from the third floor!