The wacky Korean music video that has gained more than 150 million views on YouTube and become a worldwide sensation, "Gangnam Style," has propelled the South Korean singer, Psy, to international fame.
The video which came out in mid July, has put Psy and his quirky dance moves on the map as an international celebrity with a spot at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards as a presenter and on the Ellen Degenerous show teaching his dance moves to Brittany Spears.
The video has left many fans wondering, where is Gangnam? The area is in fact, a wealthy area of Seoul, Korea and tourism officials in Seoul are capitalizing in on the unexpected popularity of the song.
In Korean, Gangnam means "south of the river," and refers to it's location in Seoul near the Han River. The area is an expensive, highly coveted area to live in known for high-end dining and luxurious designer shopping.
Luis Maravi, marketing manager at the Korea Tourism Organization in New York said to NBC, "People want to know: What is there to see? What is there to do? The video has been incredibly popular. It's just great - opening doors to people who otherwise may not know or be even interested about learning about this area."
Psy's video which is actually making fun of the glitz and superficial glamour of the neighborhood, is also known as an area with many famous plastic surgeons.
The Korea Tourism Organization suggested heading to Gangnam's head to the Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong neighborhoods which is home to a number of trendy eateries and shopping.
The area is extremely fashion forward and boasts a number of trendy clothing stores.
"In Seoul, as a city in general, people are very fashion sensitive, but the epitome of it would be Gangnam," Andrea Choi, a researcher at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington who has lived in Korea said to NBC.
Garosu-gil street is also known for its boutiques and idyllic tree-lined streets.
"As the Korean name implies (Garosugil means "tree-lined street), this street is famous for the trees, which line both sides of the 700m-long promenade. In summer, the trees' verdant green leaves provide welcome shade for shoppers, and in autumn these ginkgo trees turn golden. This sophisticated, up-and-coming street is flanked with all sorts of trendy shops and European-style cafes. You can stroll along shopping at your own leisurely pace and then relax on café terraces with coffee and a tasty desert," says asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr
Eateries around the area include the famous Kimchi Museum, dedicated to Korea's staple side dish in the COEX mall.
