Coolest. Subway. Station. Ever.

On my way to the New Year Festival at Namsangol Hanok Village, I encountered Chungmuro Station for the first time. Most of the stations I've been in (quite a few, but probably not a tenth of the total--hell, there are entire lines I haven't ridden) are fairly nondescript, even if highly functional. Some make a token effort to display art (Itaewon), others are massive architectural edifices (Noksapyeong), but this one is unique, and unique at three different levels.

First, in the tunnel, it looks like the bedrock is exposed--there's a station on MARTA in Atlanta like that. But when you give the stone a tap, it reveals it's fiberglass facing.



When you pass through the turnstile and turn left, you see this:


It is apparently a tribute to the Korean movie awards, because around the corner, the whole hallway is covered in awards show stills:


Finally, the entry plaza walls are covered in decorative tile murals. And check out those crazy phone kiosks.