KOREA GUIDE
Finding real aespa music video filming locations in Korea requires more verification than matching a futuristic hallway or neon-lit room to a scene. aespa’s visual style regularly combines real businesses, industrial facilities, private studios, temporary sets, computer graphics, and overseas locations.
For an actual fan trip, the most useful confirmed stop is Mermaid Recipe in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, which appears in the Thirsty track video. Seoul also has an official aespa-inspired experience at HiKR Ground, although it is a recreation space rather than the original Next Level filming set.
Another major production location, Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin steelworks, was used for Dirty Work. It is an active industrial facility and should not be treated as a public tourist attraction. This guide therefore separates places fans can responsibly visit from restricted sites, overseas campuses, studios, and unverified online claims.
Important: Verify Before Traveling
Cafe schedules, exhibition zones, photography rules, and public access can change. Check the latest official venue notice or Korean map listing before making a special trip, and never enter an industrial or private property without permission.
1. Where Were aespa Music Videos Filmed?
aespa’s music videos have been produced in Korea, the United States, private studios, commercial properties, and controlled industrial locations. Many scenes also use digital effects that make an ordinary room or exterior look completely different from its real appearance.
This creates three different types of locations for fans:
- Publicly visitable filming locations: Real businesses or attractions that accept ordinary visitors.
- Restricted production locations: Real places used for filming but not open as tourist attractions.
- Recreation experiences: Official fan spaces inspired by a music video but not used for the original production.
Mermaid Recipe belongs to the first category. Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin site belongs to the second. HiKR Ground belongs to the third and should not be described as the original Next Level filming location.
A trustworthy travel guide must keep these categories separate. Otherwise, fans may waste time visiting a studio address, arrive at a closed business, or approach an industrial gate that was never intended for public access.
2. aespa Filming Locations at a Glance
| Production |
Location |
Region |
Location Type |
Visitor Access |
Main Caution |
| Thirsty |
Mermaid Recipe |
Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do |
Real cafe used for filming |
Visit as a normal customer |
Confirm current hours and order normally |
| Next Level |
HiKR Ground K-Pop Ground |
Seoul |
Official inspired experience, not original set |
Public visitor facility |
Exhibits and floor schedules may change |
| Dirty Work |
Hyundai Steel Dangjin Steelworks |
Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do |
Active industrial filming location |
Not a casual tourist attraction |
Do not approach gates or restricted areas |
| Spicy |
University of Redlands |
California, United States |
Overseas campus filming location |
Not part of a Korea trip |
Do not mislabel it as a Korean location |
The practical Korea route is therefore much shorter than many fan-made lists suggest. Mermaid Recipe is the clearest original filming location for an ordinary visitor, while HiKR Ground offers the easiest aespa-themed activity in central Seoul.
3. Thirsty at Mermaid Recipe Cafe
Mermaid Recipe, written as 머메이드레시피, is a retro-style cafe in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Its colorful interiors, vintage furniture, decorative counter, framed artwork, and nostalgic American-style details appear in aespa’s Thirsty track video.
Unlike a temporary studio set, Mermaid Recipe is a real cafe where fans can compare several permanent design features with the video. The layout may still feel familiar even when small props, table positions, posters, and seasonal decorations have changed.
| English Name |
Mermaid Recipe |
| Korean Name |
머메이드레시피 |
| Address |
207-7 Pabal-ro, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do |
| Korean Address |
경기도 광주시 파발로 207-7 |
| Map Search |
머메이드레시피 광주 |
| Nearest Major Rail Access |
Gyeonggi Gwangju Station, followed by a local bus or taxi |
| Visit Type |
Operating cafe; food or drink purchase expected |
Important: Confirm Current Cafe Hours
Recent 2026 visitor information indicates that Mermaid Recipe was operating, but online sources show different schedules. Check the cafe’s current official social media or Korean map listing before traveling. Enter as a normal customer and order before taking an extended series of photographs.
What was filmed here?
The Thirsty video uses the cafe’s colorful interior as part of its relaxed, youthful atmosphere. Fans often recognize the counter, window area, vintage decor, lighting, and carefully arranged objects.
Do not expect every object to remain in the same position. A functioning cafe regularly changes displays, introduces seasonal menus, moves tables, and replaces fragile decorations.
How to get there from Seoul
Use the Gyeonggang Line to reach the Gwangju area, then check the latest bus or taxi route to the cafe. The city is outside central Seoul, so allow enough time for transfers and the return journey.
A taxi from the nearest practical station can simplify the final segment, especially for a small group. Save the Korean address before departure because the English cafe name may not produce the best local navigation result.
Photo etiquette inside the cafe
- Order before beginning a long photo session.
- Do not occupy several tables to recreate a scene.
- Avoid photographing customers and staff without permission.
- Do not move framed pictures, lamps, chairs, or decorative objects.
- Ask before using a tripod, flash, or professional lighting.
- Visit during a quieter period when possible.
4. Next Level Experience at HiKR Ground
HiKR Ground, written as 하이커 그라운드, is a visitor facility operated by the Korea Tourism Organization in central Seoul. Its K-Pop Ground has included interactive studio environments inspired by major K-pop videos, including a futuristic aespa-themed space associated with Next Level.
This distinction is important: HiKR Ground is not presented here as the original Next Level filming location. It is an official visitor experience where fans can use lighting, screens, cameras, and set-like environments to create their own content.
| English Name |
HiKR Ground |
| Korean Name |
하이커 그라운드 |
| Address |
40 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul |
| Korean Address |
서울특별시 중구 청계천로 40 |
| Map Search |
하이커 그라운드 |
| Nearest Subway Area |
Jonggak Station or Euljiro 1-ga Station |
| Admission |
Generally free for the public exhibition floors; special programs may differ |
Important: The Experience Can Change
Interactive stages, backgrounds, operating floors, and reservation procedures can change during exhibitions or renovations. Confirm that the aespa-inspired studio is available on your visit date instead of assuming that every original installation remains permanently open.
Why this stop is useful for fans
HiKR Ground is easier to reach than most original production locations. It is located beside Cheonggyecheon Stream and can be combined with central Seoul attractions without a long regional journey.
The interactive equipment also makes it more suitable for dance covers and fan videos than a narrow cafe or public sidewalk. Follow the time limits and staff instructions when other visitors are waiting.
What not to claim
Do not label photographs from HiKR Ground as pictures of the original Next Level set unless current official information explicitly says so. A space can resemble a music-video environment without being the exact production set used during filming.
5. Dirty Work at Hyundai Steel Dangjin
aespa’s Dirty Work was filmed at Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin steelworks in Chungcheongnam-do. The production used a real industrial environment with large machinery, open work areas, steel-related structures, and a scale that would be difficult to reproduce inside a normal studio.
The filming connection is well documented through SM Entertainment statements and Korean news coverage published around the video’s June 2025 release. That does not make the facility a fan attraction.
| Facility |
Hyundai Steel Dangjin Steelworks |
| Korean Name |
현대제철 당진제철소 |
| Region |
Dangjin-si, Chungcheongnam-do |
| Production |
Dirty Work music video |
| Visitor Access |
No casual fan access should be assumed |
Important: Do Not Visit the Industrial Gate
This is an operating steelworks with heavy equipment, controlled entrances, workplace hazards, and security rules. Do not travel to the facility gate, photograph security infrastructure, follow employee vehicles, enter access roads, or cross any industrial boundary to recreate a scene.
Can fans book a tour?
Do not assume that a corporate visit, educational program, or business tour is available to individual fans. Any authorized visit would require a formal program and direct confirmation from the company.
Unless Hyundai Steel announces a public event, the responsible way to experience this location is through the official music video and behind-the-scenes material rather than an in-person visit.
6. Spicy Was Filmed Outside Korea
The bright school and campus imagery in aespa’s Spicy music video was filmed at the University of Redlands in California, United States. The university has publicly acknowledged that aespa used its Redlands campus as the backdrop for a 2023 music video.
This location should not be included in a Korea filming-location itinerary. Similar architecture in Korea does not prove that another university was used for the same scenes.
| Music Video |
Spicy |
| Confirmed Campus |
University of Redlands |
| Country |
United States |
| Korea Trip Status |
Not applicable |
Correctly excluding an overseas location is part of accurate fan travel planning. It prevents travelers from visiting a visually similar Korean campus based only on an unsupported social-media post.
7. Supernova and Drama Location Claims
Searches for Supernova and Drama often produce short-form videos, fan maps, visual comparisons, and reposted claims without an official production source. Some may eventually prove correct, but visual similarity alone is not enough for a travel guide.
A building, tunnel, rooftop, or industrial space should not be identified as a filming location unless the claim can be supported by at least one strong source such as:
- An official SM Entertainment or production statement
- A venue announcement confirming the shoot
- A local-government or tourism page
- A credible news report naming the location
- A production credit with enough detail to identify the property
- Multiple consistent sources supported by permanent visual features
Until a location meets that standard, it should be described as unverified rather than added to a visitor itinerary. This is particularly important for private studios, rooftops, underground passages, parking structures, and industrial properties.
Important: Unverified Does Not Mean Public
Even when a fan identification is correct, the property may be private or unsafe. Do not enter garages, rooftops, studios, tunnels, construction zones, abandoned buildings, or service roads based on an unofficial map pin.
8. How to Verify an aespa Filming Location
Use a repeatable verification process before adding any aespa location to a travel plan.
- Identify the exact video and timestamp. A teaser, performance video, track video, and official music video may use different locations.
- Look for a named source. Search the venue, local government, production company, broadcaster, or major news outlet.
- Compare permanent features. Check doors, windows, columns, road shapes, mountain lines, and fixed structures rather than temporary props.
- Search the Korean name. Korean map services usually show more current business and access information.
- Check recent photographs. Confirm whether the building, mural, cafe, or entrance still looks recognizable.
- Confirm the property type. Determine whether it is a cafe, university, studio, factory, residence, or public attraction.
- Check current access. A real filming location may still be closed to ordinary visitors.
Useful Korean search terms
| Purpose |
Korean Search Term |
| Mermaid Recipe |
머메이드레시피 광주 |
| HiKR Ground |
하이커 그라운드 |
| Dirty Work filming news |
에스파 더티 워크 당진제철소 촬영 |
| General filming-location research |
에스파 뮤직비디오 촬영지 |
9. How to Plan Your aespa Fan Trip
The most practical plan separates the Seoul fan experience from the Gyeonggi cafe visit. Hyundai Steel should not be included as a destination.
| Plan |
Main Stop |
Suggested Combination |
Time Needed |
| Central Seoul fan stop |
HiKR Ground |
Cheonggyecheon, Gwanghwamun, Myeong-dong, or another confirmed K-pop attraction |
Two to four hours |
| Gyeonggi cafe trip |
Mermaid Recipe |
Another verified Gwangju attraction with a practical transport route |
Half or full day |
| Restricted location |
Hyundai Steel Dangjin Steelworks |
Watch official video and behind-the-scenes content instead |
Do not visit |
Can HiKR Ground and Mermaid Recipe fit into one day?
It may be technically possible, but it is not the most comfortable plan. HiKR Ground is in central Seoul, while Mermaid Recipe requires a regional rail journey and a final local transfer.
A better approach is to visit HiKR Ground during a central Seoul sightseeing day and reserve a separate half day for Gwangju. This leaves enough time to order at the cafe without rushing back to the station.
10. Opening Hours, Admission, and Access
| Location |
Typical Cost |
Reservation |
What to Recheck |
| Mermaid Recipe |
Normal cafe order |
Confirm for groups, special cakes, or busy periods |
Current hours, closing day, last order, photography rules |
| HiKR Ground |
General exhibition access is normally free |
Some programs or recording activities may use time limits or booking systems |
Open floors, Monday closure, exhibit changes, group procedures |
| Hyundai Steel Dangjin |
Not applicable |
No casual fan reservation should be assumed |
Do not plan a visit without an official public program |
Avoid copying a fixed schedule from an old travel post. Cafes can change closing days, while exhibition facilities may close floors for maintenance, private events, or installation work.
11. Photo Tips and Fan Etiquette
The best aespa fan photos use locations that actively welcome visitors. A cafe purchase or an official interactive exhibition offers a safer and more respectful experience than searching for restricted rooftops, factories, or private studios.
- Order normally when entering Mermaid Recipe.
- Do not move cafe furniture or fragile decorations.
- Keep staff and other customers out of photographs unless they consent.
- Follow time limits when using HiKR Ground’s interactive studios.
- Do not play loud music when other visitors are recording.
- Keep equipment away from exits and walkways.
- Ask before using tripods, flashes, lighting stands, or commercial cameras.
- Do not enter industrial roads, factory gates, studios, rooftops, or construction areas.
- Do not fly a drone without checking aviation and property rules.
- Do not republish copyrighted music-video screenshots as travel photographs.
How to match a scene without causing problems
Compare large permanent features such as the cafe counter, windows, wall colors, room layout, and major decorative elements. Do not expect a temporary prop or exact table arrangement to remain years after production.
At an interactive facility, use the equipment as instructed instead of changing cables, moving lights, or entering staff areas. The experience is designed for visitors, but it still requires fair use when others are waiting.
12. Sources and Current-Status Notes
The following source types were used to separate confirmed information from fan speculation:
- Korea Tourism Organization information for HiKR Ground
- Korean news reports quoting SM Entertainment on the Dirty Work production
- Recent Korean map and visitor information for Mermaid Recipe
- The University of Redlands’ official acknowledgement of aespa’s campus filming
VISITKOREA: Korea Tourism Information Center at HiKR Ground
University of Redlands: Campus Filming Acknowledgement
Mermaid Recipe’s operating status should be checked again before publication and again before a reader’s visit because available online schedules are not fully consistent. The article therefore avoids presenting one timetable as permanently correct.
The Hyundai Steel location is included for factual completeness but is explicitly excluded from the recommended travel route. No detailed gate address or access directions are given because doing so could encourage an inappropriate industrial visit.
13. aespa Filming Locations FAQ
What is the easiest real aespa filming location to visit?
Mermaid Recipe is the clearest original filming location in this guide that operates as a normal visitor-facing business. Confirm its schedule, travel to Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province, and visit as a paying customer.
Was Next Level filmed at HiKR Ground?
HiKR Ground offers an official interactive space inspired by aespa’s futuristic music-video imagery. It should be described as a recreation experience rather than automatically labeled as the original production set.
Can fans visit the Dirty Work steelworks?
No casual visit should be planned. Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin facility is an active industrial site with security and safety restrictions. Visit only if the company announces a legitimate public program and confirms access directly.
Was Spicy filmed in Korea?
The school and campus scenes were filmed at the University of Redlands in California. The official university has acknowledged aespa’s 2023 campus production.
Where are the Supernova filming locations?
Publicly shared claims should be checked against official production, venue, tourism, or credible news sources. A visually similar building or street is not enough to confirm a location or prove that visitors can enter it.
Where was Drama filmed?
Detailed location claims require separate verification because the video combines controlled production environments and highly stylized visuals. Do not rely on a map pin that lacks a named source or current access information.
Can HiKR Ground and Mermaid Recipe be visited in one day?
It may be possible with an early start, but separate days are more comfortable. HiKR Ground is in central Seoul, while Mermaid Recipe requires travel to Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province and a final local transfer.
Do I need a reservation for Mermaid Recipe?
Confirm current rules directly with the cafe, especially for groups, special cakes, busy weekends, or professional photography. Ordinary visitors should still expect to place a normal order.
Is HiKR Ground free?
General exhibition access has typically been free, but individual programs, floor schedules, and reservation systems can change. Check current official information before visiting.
Should I use Google Maps in Korea?
Google Maps is useful for general orientation, but Naver Map and Kakao Map usually show better Korean place searches, local buses, recent business photographs, and current operating information.
How can I avoid visiting a false filming location?
Look for an official venue statement, production confirmation, tourism page, local-government source, or credible news report. Then confirm that the location still exists and that public access is legal.
A responsible aespa music video filming locations trip is built around places that genuinely welcome visitors. Mermaid Recipe offers the strongest original filming connection, while HiKR Ground provides an accessible aespa-inspired activity in Seoul. Restricted factories, private studios, and unverified addresses should remain off the itinerary.
