Chimaek by Han River: Live Out Your K-Drama Fantasy in Seoul, Seoul, South Korea

If you’ve watched a Korean drama, you’ve probably dreamed of this scene: sitting by the Han River at night, sharing fried chicken and cold beer (Chimaek) with the city skyline glowing behind you. It’s one of those quintessential Seoul moments that looks almost too perfect to be real.

On my latest trip to Seoul, I finally made this K-drama fantasy come to life. Spoiler: It’s just as good as it looks on screen.

If you’ve never heard the term before, chimaek (치맥) is a popular Korean combination of fried chicken (치킨) and beer (맥주)—the perfect pairing that has taken Korea by storm. The word itself is a playful blend of “chi” from chicken and “maek” from maekju, which means beer in Korean.

Chimaek is a cultural phenomenon and a beloved social ritual. Whether it’s a casual night out with friends, a fun date, or a relaxing solo treat, sharing crispy, flavorful fried chicken with cold beer has become a quintessential Korean experience.

I started the evening by getting off at Yeouinaru Station (여의나루역), which is the closest subway stop to Yeouido Hangang Park. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).