Taekwondo training trip to Kukkiwon: a Gangnam Station studio rental

"I'm flying to Seoul to train at Kukkiwon for three weeks. Where do I stay between sessions?"

"Do I really want a hotel room with no washer while I sweat through a dobok every day?"

"Can I book something near Kukkiwon for a few weeks without signing a Korean lease?"

"What if I want to stay longer after my test or seminar?"

This guide is for foreign taekwondo practitioners heading to Seoul for training at Kukkiwon (국기원), the World Taekwondo Headquarters in Gangnam (강남): competitors on a training camp, dojang (도장) owners bringing students, and instructors joining a course or preparing for a dan (단) promotion test. Trips like these usually last one to four weeks, which is too long for a comfortable hotel stay and far too short for a normal lease. Below you will find what a training trip needs from a room, how the usual options compare, and one real studio a short walk from Gangnam Station.

Does this sound like you?

If several of these feel familiar, compare a short-term rental before you book weeks of hotel nights.

✓ You are coming to Korea for taekwondo training, a course or a promotion test and will stay 1–4 weeks.

✓ You train once or twice a day and need a quiet place to rest properly in between.

✓ You will wash a dobok (도복, the taekwondo uniform) and training gear almost every day.

✓ You want to cook simple, protein-heavy meals instead of eating out three times a day.

✓ You want to watch your poomsae (품새, forms) videos on a decent screen in the evening.

✓ Your dates might change, for example if you add a seminar or extra training after your test.

✓ You do not speak much Korean and would rather avoid a real-estate agent and a one-year lease.

If three or more apply, a furnished room near Kukkiwon will make your training trip much easier.

Why staying near Kukkiwon matters

Kukkiwon sits on a small hill in Yeoksam-dong (역삼동), between Gangnam Station (강남역) and Yeoksam Station (역삼역). The Gangnam district tourism site lists access from Gangnam Station Exit 12 on Line 2 and from Sinnonhyeon Station (신논현역) Exit 5 on Line 9.

When you train twice a day, every minute of commuting comes out of your recovery time.

Staying within walking distance means you can go home after a morning session, eat, shower, sleep for an hour and walk back for the evening class. From a hotel across the river, the same break turns into two subway rides and very little rest.

It also helps on test or course days. Kukkiwon issues dan and poom certificates and runs the World Taekwondo Academy for instructors, and those days start early. Being a short walk away lets you arrive warmed up instead of rushed.

Course and test dates change from year to year, so confirm your schedule with Kukkiwon or your national association before you book. Then build your stay around those dates with a few spare days on each side.

Hotel, goshitel or short-term rental for a training trip

Most visiting practitioners compare the same three options. Each works for some trips and breaks down for others.

① A hotel is easy for a few nights, then the costs add up.

Hotel rooms around Gangnam Station rarely have a kitchen or a washer, and laundry is a paid service. Even at KRW 150,000 a night, six nights come to KRW 900,000 (approx. USD 670), and 30 nights reach KRW 4,500,000 (approx. USD 3,330) before meals.

② A goshitel is cheap, but it is not built for recovery.

A goshitel (고시텔) is a Korean micro-room rental, often just a narrow bed and a desk, with a shared kitchen and sometimes a shared bathroom. It works for a budget stopover, but not for weeks of hard training and wet gear drying in a tiny room.

③ A furnished short-term rental is a small home you can book by the week.

Many rentals in Gangnam are officetels. An officetel (오피스텔) is a studio-style residence-meets-office unit common in Korea, typically 20–40 ㎡, with a private bathroom, a kitchenette and often a washer.

Hotel and goshitel prices change with the season and the building, so treat those columns as a checklist rather than a quote.

Once your trip passes one week, a furnished studio usually gives you more room for less money.

What a taekwondo training week needs from your room

A training trip is not a sightseeing holiday. You will come back tired, sore and hungry, so the room has to work like a small home.

1. A washer for daily gear.

A dobok, sparring gear and training clothes need washing almost every day. Having a washing machine in the room saves you from hand-washing in a hotel sink or hunting for a laundromat after an evening session.

2. A kitchen for recovery meals.

Rice, eggs, chicken and fruit from a nearby convenience store or supermarket go a long way. A rice cooker, a microwave and a cooktop let you eat on your own schedule instead of waiting for restaurants to open.

3. A real bed and a quiet night.

Recovery happens while you sleep. A queen bed, warm bedding in winter and a building away from the main street make a bigger difference than a hotel lobby ever will.

4. A screen for video review.

Many athletes film their poomsae and sparring and review it in the evening. A TV with Wi-Fi makes that easy, and it also helps with video calls home.

5. Dates you can extend.

If you pass your test and want to stay for extra training, extending a weekly rental is simpler than rebooking a hotel in a busy week. Ask the host early so the next guest's dates do not clash.

Pick the room around your training routine first and the photos second.

A real short-term rental near Gangnam Station: guest review

Studio officetel, 3 minutes' walk from Gangnam Station (Listing ID : 17787)

Weekly total KRW 510,000 (approx. USD 380) for 6 nights (utilities included), approx. KRW 85,000 (approx. USD 63) per night / Monthly total KRW 2,098,000 (approx. USD 1,550) for 30 nights (utilities included), approx. KRW 70,000 (approx. USD 52) per night / Deposit KRW 100,000 (approx. USD 74) (6–29 nights), KRW 200,000 (approx. USD 150) (30 nights or more)

Rating ⭐ 5.0 (8 reviews)

Approx. 28 ㎡ (8.4 pyeong) | Officetel | Open studio | 1 queen bed for up to 2 guests

Pyeong (평) is the traditional Korean floor-area unit, and 1 pyeong is about 3.3 ㎡. This studio sits on the same hillside between Gangnam Station and Yeoksam Station as Kukkiwon, which makes it an easy walk to training.

🌿 Fully furnished with a queen bed for two, a washing machine, air conditioning, a rice cooker and a microwave.

🌿 A TV with Netflix and cable channels, plus wired and wireless internet.

🌿 The host cleans and manages the studio personally.

A convenience store, a café and restaurants are on the ground floor of the building. Gangnam Station (Line 2 and the Shinbundang Line) is about 3 minutes on foot, Yeoksam Station about 9 minutes, and COEX (코엑스) is two subway stops away. Teheran-ro (테헤란로), Seoul's main office avenue, is within walking distance for shopping and food after training.

📍 Guest review (January 2025 · 양** · ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, translated from Korean)

The guest stayed a full month for a training program and never had a problem with hot water or heating. The studio had everything except clothes, so they even sent part of their luggage home halfway through, and being in Gangnam made it easy to get anywhere with plenty to eat nearby. (translated from the original Korean review)

Finding a short-term rental in Gangnam on Liveanywhere

Liveanywhere is a Korean platform for furnished stays of one week or longer. Contracts are signed online, most homes come fully furnished with a kitchen, washer and fridge, and the platform-wide average deposit is about KRW 300,000 (approx. USD 220).

For a taekwondo trip, book from your arrival to your last training day, then add a few spare nights for jet lag and a possible extension. Search around Gangnam Station and Yeoksam first, check the washer and the bed in the photos, and message the host about your arrival time.

Land, drop your bag and walk to Kukkiwon from a room that already works.