Justin Bieber Is Back in Seoul, and Somehow Samgyetang Is Making Headlines
Thirteen years after his last visit to Korea, Justin Bieber is back in Seoul for his fashion brand SKYLRK, but his restaurant outings are getting almost as much attention.
Justin Bieber is back in Korea for the first time in thirteen years, and I have to admit that seeing his name all over Korean news again feels a little strange, especially when the headlines aren't about a concert or a new song, but about him playing ping-pong in Seongsu and eating samgyetang in Anguk.
The last time Bieber visited Korea was in 2013 for his Believe tour, back when he was still sporting that famous side-swept hairstyle and songs like Baby and Boyfriend seemed to be playing everywhere. Now he's 32, married with a child, running a fashion brand, and visiting Seoul for business. Meanwhile, the rest of us have also gotten thirteen years older, which is something I could have happily gone without being reminded of.
Bieber arrived in Seoul on October 23 with his wife, Hailey, and announced his arrival on Instagram with a simple “Made it to Seoul.” His visit coincided with the Korean debut of SKYLRK, his fashion and lifestyle brand, which held a pop-up store in Seongsu from October 22 to 25.
If you've been keeping up with what's happening in Seongsu lately, it probably doesn't come as much of a surprise that this is where Bieber ended up. The neighborhood, once known for its factories and shoe-making workshops, has become one of Seoul's trendiest destinations for fashion, cafés, and pop-up stores, with brands constantly transforming old industrial spaces into temporary experiences that attract crowds of people.
At this point, I feel like you could walk into almost any building in Seongsu and find either a café, a pop-up store, or a line of people waiting for something you haven't heard of yet. Sometimes I wonder how anyone manages to keep track of what's opening and closing there, especially when some of these events disappear almost as quickly as they arrive.
But when Justin Bieber is involved, people seem to find out pretty quickly. Fans reportedly waited for hours hoping to catch a glimpse of him at the SKYLRK pop-up, and Korean social media was soon filled with photos, videos, and excited reactions to his arrival. Some fans still affectionately call him 뜨또 (Tteutto), a Korean nickname that has followed him for years, which makes the whole thing feel a little nostalgic for anyone who remembers the height of Bieber fever.
He eventually made an appearance at the pop-up, sharing photos of himself exploring the venue and playing table tennis. I don't think anyone in 2013 could have predicted that we'd one day be reading about Justin Bieber casually playing ping-pong at a fashion pop-up in Seongsu, but apparently this is where we are in 2026.
What caught my attention even more, though, was his visit to a samgyetang restaurant in Anguk, where videos of him greeting people began circulating on Korean social media.
For anyone unfamiliar with samgyetang (삼계탕), it's a traditional Korean chicken soup made with a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic, and other ingredients. It's especially popular during Korea's hottest summer days, although people enjoy it throughout the year, and it's also the kind of meal Korean parents and grandparents tend to recommend whenever someone looks tired, overworked, or in need of something nourishing.
I don't know why, but the thought of Justin Bieber sitting down for a bowl of samgyetang makes me laugh a little, probably because it's such a Korean parent-approved meal. I can practically imagine someone's mother insisting that he eat something healthy after a long flight, and somehow that seems entirely appropriate for a visit to Korea.
According to Korean media reports, Bieber visited the restaurant wearing a tracksuit and red sunglasses, greeting people who recognized him along the way. It didn't take long for videos of the outing to spread online, and naturally, people became curious about exactly where he'd gone.
One thing I've noticed about celebrity sightings in Korea is how quickly an ordinary outing can turn into a small investigation, especially when someone posts a short video without identifying the location. People start looking at the background, recognizing signs or furniture, and comparing details until someone figures out the restaurant, and suddenly a celebrity's lunch becomes a topic of conversation.
And Korean fans can be wonderfully enthusiastic when someone they've followed for years finally visits. Even a short glimpse of Bieber walking through a neighborhood was enough to get people excited, and the fact that he was visiting ordinary restaurants rather than staying behind the scenes gave everyone a little more to talk about. There's something funny about seeing people who once screamed along to Baby now getting excited over where Justin Bieber went for lunch.
Of course, celebrity sightings generate excitement everywhere, but there's something particularly entertaining about watching it unfold in familiar Seoul neighborhoods, where the restaurants and cafés being discussed are places ordinary people might visit on any given weekend. Imagine going out for lunch in Anguk, looking up from your food, and realizing Justin Bieber is sitting nearby, or worse, finding out later that he was there and you somehow didn't notice.
Anguk has also become one of those neighborhoods where traditional Seoul and the city's constantly changing café culture exist side by side, with old hanok buildings, small restaurants, boutiques, and trendy cafés drawing crowds throughout the week. Like Seongsu, it's a place that already attracts plenty of attention online, even without an international celebrity appearing in someone's restaurant video.
And that's partly what makes Bieber's visit interesting beyond the celebrity sightings themselves. Seoul has become a popular destination for international fashion brands, collaborations, and temporary pop-up events, and neighborhoods like Seongsu have developed a reputation for being places where something new is always happening. Bieber's SKYLRK launch is another example of that, although I doubt anyone expected his samgyetang outing to become part of the conversation as well.
It's also funny to think about how much has changed since his last visit in 2013, when he came to Korea as a teenage pop star performing for thousands of screaming fans. This time, he's here as a husband, father, and fashion entrepreneur, and people are following his restaurant visits and casual outings around Seoul rather than waiting for concert footage.
Meanwhile, many of the people who grew up listening to his music are now adults with jobs, families, and very different priorities, although I'm sure plenty would still be excited to see him perform again. Some might even be more interested in whether the samgyetang restaurant is worth visiting, which feels like a fairly accurate reflection of where many of us millennials are in life these days.
I can't help wondering whether anyone at the restaurant was simply enjoying their lunch, completely unaware that Justin Bieber was sitting nearby, only to find out later when the videos started circulating. It would be a pretty funny story to tell, especially if you were too busy concentrating on your chicken soup to notice one of the world's most recognizable pop stars.
Anyway, welcome back to Korea, Justin. It's been thirteen years, Seoul looks a little different, and apparently so do your reasons for visiting.
Hope the samgyetang was good.
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