In the past couple years, Seoul has seen several coworking spaces pop up around the city. These spaces range from social to private, high tech and modern to small and cozy – so whether you’re a digital nomad looking to meet people or a startup company in search of a new office space, here is a list of the top 10 coworking spaces in Seoul (in no particular order)!
WEWORK | VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN SEOUL
With spots in Gangnam, Seoul Station, Gwanghwamun, and others, Wework offers shared and private working spaces in various locations around the city. You can either opt for a private office, a dedicated desk, or a shared space through Wework and schedule a visit to the location before deciding to make a commitment! The space offers high speed internet, round-the-cloud amenities, and onsite staff to make your work day as comfortable as possible.
Wework is dedicated to support the growing startup scene in Seoul, and its flexible month-to-month options are perfect for those who never know where they’ll be in a year’s time.
FASTFIVE | VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN SEOUL
FASTFIVE is a great option for those looking for a working space that comes at a reasonable price with no deposit. With various locations around the city, FASTFIVE offers its members 24-hour access to facilities, an on-site cafe, kitchen, and free coffee/tea throughout the day.
This coworking location strives to provide a space for optimal networking opportunities in order to build a strong community of innovative individuals, small, or large companies, and this is evident in the way that they’ve set up their open and shared spaces.
COW & DOG | SEONGDONG-GU
Located near Seongsu station, Cow & Dog is a shared space whose name comes from the phrase “co-work and do good.” Its open spaces are geared towards people who like working alongside other professionals and digital nomads, and its facilities fit up to 90 people. With a cafe on site, Cow&Dog has a modern interior perfect for those who prefer the comfort of a contemporary environment.
SEOUL STARTUP HUB | MAPO-GU
Located in the Mapo-gu area, Seoul Startup Hub is a massive space that accommodates both startup companies and digital nomads alike. Floors 1-3 are shared coworking spaces whereas floors 4-8 are made up of office spaces for startup companies. Each floor fits up to 100 people and its facilities include a cafe, convenience store, game machines, , and rooftop garden. The best part about the Seoul Startup Hub, however, is probably the sleeping facilities located on the tenth floor of the building.
FAB LAB | JONGNO-GU
Fablab isn’t your standard coworking space. It’s a digital fabrication laboratory set up to inspire budding entrepreneurs, artists, or small businesses to turn their ideas into tangible products. As a result, the facilities at Fablab include a wide range of advanced digital manufacturing technology.
Access to equipment like the 3D printers or laser cutters is available at extremely low prices (3,000-7,000won per hour)! The crowd at Fablab is innovative, creative, and ambitious. The lab is completely open to the public, an intentional move to try and encourage creativity and innovation in local communities, but you can also purchase a membership for either yourself or your business to have a reserved space in the facilities.
HIVE ARENA | YEONGDEUNGPO-GU
If you’re planning on coming to Seoul and want to arrange a coworking space and living accommodations all in one go, then Hive Arena is the perfect option for you. This quirky and homey space is basically a large guesthouse that welcomes a community of both locals and travellers to live and work together for a period of time.
On their “about us” page, their list of staff members includes Aji, a small dog whose role is “happiness officer,” and a cat who is noted as a temporary staff member.
GRAN SEOUL | JONGNO-GU
Gran Seoul is located on the 7th floor of Gran Seoul Tower – a state of the art 24-story infrastructure that includes a department store, hotel, banks, and office spaces. Though Gran Seoul provides shared meeting spaces that are available for use, the facilities are geared more towards businesses (whether they be startups or larger companies).
You can choose a space of either a couple square meters or a couple hundred square meters, depending on your needs. For the digital nomad, there are options to rent out a workstation or desk within the spaces – inclusive with locker storage and access to shared spaces where you can meet and network with other people.
GARAGE | GANGNAM-GU
Garage, located in the heart of Gangnam, is a state of the art office space that is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. With free high-speed internet, parking, a lounge, and cafe, Garage also offers the option of a 1-day pass that lets you rent out a space for a day to help you get a feel for the facilities and environment before making a commitment. You can also buy a “virtual office,” which lets you register the building as your office address, receive mail, and access a parking space, lounge, and meeting rooms.
THE EXECUTIVE CENTER | JUNG-GU
The Executive Center is located in the Seoul Finance Center, one of the most exclusive business addresses in central Seoul. With a minimalist design and complete amenities, the Executive Center offers 24 hour access and the choice of either exclusive or shared working spaces, giving you the option to choose what kind of environment works best for you- whether that be private or more collaborative. For those looking for a shared space, the Executive Center provides options to either book your space by the day, 10 days, month, or longer.
CAMPUS SEOUL | GANGNAM-GU
Campus Seoul is Google’s first campus in Asia. According to Mary Grove, the director of Google for Entrepreneurs, Campus Seoul is designed to provide support, mentoring, and connections for new startup companies and entrepreneurs in the internet business sector. In return for the creation of the space, Google hopes to break into the Korean market which is currently dominated by Naver.
As a result of Google’s vision for the space, Campus Seoul is both a coworking space as well as a resource to receive training and mentorship about the internet industry. Membership is free and everyone who signs up is allowed access to the “Campus Cafe,” the hub to network and make new connections in the field.
All photos courtesy of the respective coworking spaces.
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