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JYP Entertainment: tips on how to go and stake out

If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of celebrities, your best bet would be to look out for a crowd of Korean fans around the building.

UPDATE: A source on Trazy said that this HQ has been sold off and JYP has a new training center near Cheongdam Station. Not exactly sure how accurate this is since this center is still listed on JYP’s main website, but you can check out Trazy’s website to see this information for yourself.

If you are a die-hard K-pop fan, Apgujeong-Rodeo is the place you need to hang out everyday. JYP, FNC and SM are all in this area. This makes it easy for you to spot any favourite idol from any of these companies within walking distance.

Even if you fail to do any celebrity-spotting, you can still be comforted by the gangnamdols along Hallyu K-Star Road.

JYP is one of the big 3 that all K-pop fans would know of, and is home to some of the artists that grew up with us.

I came not just to check one item off my fangirl list, but also especially to test if I had the luck to see DAY6!

My JYP ‘stake-out’ experience

As with other entertainment companies, this building is not open to the public.

Even taking a photo in front of the building is tough due to the traffic & security at the main door. However, there’s no saying if you may get to see celebrities moving in and out of the celebrity vans parked there.

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As you can tell from the photo, there were SO MANY celebrity vans moving in and out that day. This was definitely a good sign.

We walked over to FNC and SM first, before heading back to JYP to try our luck again. The sheer number of fans waiting here was definitely not normal.

Judging from the presence of many Korean fans, we were also rather sure that someone must be coming into/out of the building.

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As it turns out, we were partially right!

A celebrity van did stop in front of the building. Many fans then rushed forward with their cameras and phones to snap photos.

But he only person to step out of the van was the manager…

Frankly, it was very disappointing, but also slightly exciting to think about the celebrity who was in the car (but didn’t come out!)

In the end, we didn’t manage to see any celebrity after about one hour, so we left. I think no one else came after that either, so I guess we didn’t have much luck.


Tip: There is a Dunkin Donuts café right opposite the building, and there were many fangirls waiting there. If you have time to spare, I would suggest sitting down here for a drink. Sitting outside means that you probably have more time to take better photos of any celebrities. So be sure to choose your seat wisely too.

My takeaway

Camping outside entertainment companies not only requires luck, but only certain observation skills.

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of celebrities, your best bet would be to look out for a crowd of Korean fans. They would most likely be well-informed of their idols’ schedules and camping at the building!


DIRECTIONS

Address: 서울특별시 강남구 압구정로 79길 41 JYP센터 
Apgujeong-ro 79-gil 41, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Frankly, I relied on a friend to get to JYP.

But the easiest way to get there is to go to Apgujeong-Rodeo Station (Bundang Line), Exit 2, walk down the Hallyu K-Star Road.

There, you’ll find a map there with details on how to get to all the entertainment companies.

If all else fails, Naver Maps will be your trusty friend.

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About the writer

About Tofu V

Tofu V is a Singapore-based travel writer who has been documenting trips to South Korea since 2017, alongside practical guides to destinations across Asia and beyond. More recent articles also cover the realities of travelling with a young child, from transport and naps to attractions, food and accommodation.

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