Parasite Filming Locations in Seoul
The four Parasite filming locations Seoul's city government published, set out by scene, by what stands there now, and by nearest station. None is an attraction: two are neighbourhood stairways and two are local shops.
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The four Parasite locations Seoul published have one thing in common: not one of them is an attraction. Two are neighbourhood stairways, two are a supermarket and a pizza shop, and none of them is signposted.
What decides the order is not what each one shows you but where you were already going. Jahamun's stairs fit a day spent walking Seochon and Buam-dong; the supermarket and the neighbourhood stairs are a minute apart and belong together; Sky Pizza is worth appending only if Noryangjin was already on your route.
They fall into three clusters
The four are scattered across Seoul, but not evenly.
Two in Mapo — Doijissal Supermarket and Gi-taek's neighbourhood stairs sit on the same stretch of Songijeong-ro, a minute's walk apart. Treat them as one stop.
One in Jongno — the Jahamun tunnel stairs are on Jahamun-ro, uphill from Gyeongbokgung station.
One in Dongjak — only Sky Pizza is south of the river. It does not group with the other three, so decide separately whether one location justifies crossing the Han.
A half-day order for the four locations
Follow the four locations below from north to south. Starting at 10:00 puts you at the final location at 12:40, with stays of 30, 25, 20 and 25 minutes in order.
| Start | Location | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 | Jahamun Tunnel Stairs | 30 min |
| 11:10 | Doijissal Supermarket | 25 min |
| 11:40 | Gi-taek's Neighbourhood Stairs | 20 min |
| 12:40 | Sky Pizza | 25 min |
- Jahamun Tunnel Stairs → Doijissal Supermarket — Back down to Gyeongbokgung Stn, Line 3 → change at Jongno 3-ga → Line 5 to Chungjeongno Stn Exit 6 (about 40 min including the walks)
- Doijissal Supermarket → Gi-taek's Neighbourhood Stairs — One minute on foot — the two are on the same stretch of Songijeong-ro
- Gi-taek's Neighbourhood Stairs → Sky Pizza — Walk to Chungjeongno Stn, Line 2 → change at City Hall → Line 1 to Noryangjin Stn Exit 6 (about 40 min including the walks)
Who this suits, and how the four differ
This list suits someone who has seen the film and wants to find the everyday Seoul spaces its scenes were shot in. If you are hoping for a set, an exhibition or a sign, all four will disappoint.
The four split into two you see from outside and two shops. The Jahamun tunnel stairs and Gi-taek's neighbourhood stairs are viewed from the street, so shop hours do not matter, but residents use them. Doijissal Supermarket and Sky Pizza are trading shops, where the default is to call in during opening hours as a customer.
If you pick just one stop, Doijissal Supermarket — which Seoul names as where Parasite begins — with Gi-taek's stairs a one-minute walk away gives you the most scenes for the travel.
Shop hours, and what to do if a shop is shut
Only the two shops have opening hours that matter. Seoul's guide does list hours for both, but it also says that information may have changed since it was written and should be checked before a visit. Look in a map app or the shop's own notice to confirm it is open that day.
If a shop is closed or no longer trading, look at the sign and the lane from the street and move on. Standing at the door waiting for it to open is an imposition on the neighbours.
The two stairways can be seen at any hour, but people live there, so avoid early mornings and late nights. If you have to drop a stop for time, Sky Pizza goes first, since it sits apart from the other three.
These are neighbourhoods before they are locations
People live and work at all four. Do not block a staircase, do not point a camera at windows or doorways, and avoid early mornings and late nights. The supermarket and Sky Pizza are functioning shops — unless you are going as a customer, it is better not to go in.
Save the addresses before you go
None of the four is signposted, so you cannot find them by name once you are there. Save the addresses and exit numbers to your map app first. If you cannot cover all four locations, pair the supermarket with Gi-taek's neighbourhood stairs first and leave out Sky Pizza if you need to shorten the route further.
In this list
- Seoul
Jahamun Tunnel Stairs
The first flight of the long descent the Kim family makes back to their semi-basement through the rainstorm. The film measures the distance between the two houses in stairs rather than dialogue. The long stairway beside the tunnel is still in everyday use, so this is a place you see from the street without going into any shop.
- The scene
- The way home through the downpour
- What is there now
- Unmarked concrete steps off Jahamun-ro
- Nearest station
- Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Stn Exit 2, 10 min walk
- Add it when
- You are already walking Seochon or Buam-dong
- Seoul
Doijissal Supermarket
'Woori Supermarket' in the film. Seoul calls it where Parasite begins, and it is a neighbourhood shop that is still trading, so it is a shop first and a filming location second. The sign and the awning are close to what is on screen, but this is a shop the neighbourhood buys its groceries in, not a set.
- The scene
- 'Woori Supermarket' — where Seoul says the film begins
- What is there now
- A working corner shop
- Nearest station
- Lines 2/5, Chungjeongno Stn Exit 6, 10 min walk
- Add it when
- You only have time for one of the four
- Seoul
Gi-taek's Neighbourhood Stairs
The stairs up towards Mr. Park's house. They are a one-minute walk from the supermarket, so in practice you see the two together — and putting them side by side restores the route the film keeps travelling between the two households. It is also the spot where it is easiest to forget you are standing outside somebody's front door.
- The scene
- The stairs up to Mr. Park's house
- What is there now
- A narrow flight in a residential lane
- Nearest station
- 1 min walk from Doijissal Supermarket
- Add it when
- You have come as far as the supermarket
- Seoul
Sky Pizza
'Pizza Generation', where the family folds pizza boxes. It is the only one of the four south of the Han, and it does not group with the other three — so it works best appended to a trip you were making to Noryangjin anyway. Its trading and hours may have changed since Seoul published its guide, so come for the lane rather than for the storefront.
- The scene
- 'Pizza Generation' — where the boxes were folded
- What is there now
- A shopfront lane off Noryangjin-ro 6-gil
- Nearest station
- Lines 1/9, Noryangjin Stn Exit 6, 10 min walk
- Add it when
- You had another reason to be in Noryangjin
Frequently asked questions
Can I see all four in one day?
Yes. All four are inside Seoul, all four are on the subway, and none of them takes long to visit, so half a day is enough. They fall into three clusters, though — Jahamun in Jongno, the supermarket and stairs in Mapo, Sky Pizza in Dongjak — so plan the order north to south rather than doubling back.
Can I go inside any of them?
None of the four is a place you go into to look around. The two stairways are seen from the street, and Doijissal Supermarket and Sky Pizza are working local shops, so unless you are going as a customer it is better not to go in. Nothing has been preserved as a set and there is no exhibition at any of them.
Can I visit the Park family house?
No. The mansion was a purpose-built set rather than a real house, and it was dismantled after filming. It does not appear among the locations Seoul published. The staircases in this list are the real streets that were used as the routes up and down to it.
Is it alright to take photographs?
Photographing from the street and the stairs is fine, but all four are neighbourhoods people live in. Do not aim at windows or doorways, do not block a staircase while you frame a shot, and avoid early mornings and late nights. At the supermarket, leave the interior and the people working there out of it.
Is there any English signage?
None. All four are ordinary places to live and work, with no plaque and no marker, and the only thing that identifies them is the address. Save the addresses and exit numbers before you set out rather than expecting to find them by name on the spot.
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