Cafe Yeonnam-dong 239-20 is a uniquely-designed cafe in Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong district that makes visitors feel like they’ve miraculously steeped into a cartoon or a comic.

Remember the song “Take on Me” by Norwegian band A-ha? It’s one of the catchiest tunes of all time, but I remember being fascinated with its music video, as a child. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before, a person stepping into the pages of a comic book that comes to life. I still consider it one of the coolest music videos ever made, but you’re probably wondering why I’m mentioning in an article about a cafe in South Korea. Well, it was the first thing that came into my mind when I saw photos of the incredible Cafe Yeonnam-dong 239-20.

Photo: Cafe Yeonnam-dong 239-20/Instagram

Located in one of the hippest neighborhoods in Seoul, and named after its exact address, Cafe Yeonnam-dong 239-20 recently went viral all over the world for its original decor. It was inspired by  ‘W – Two Worlds’, a popular fantasy drama series that aired in South Korea in 2016 and focused on the clash between the real world and a fantasy one inside a webtoon. It was this webtoon that inspired the interior design of this fabulous cafe.

Cafe Yeonnam-dong 239-20 only opened in the second half of 2017, but it is already considered one of the most Instagrammable places in Seoul, and looking at some of these pictures, it’s easy to see why. From the walls and the floor, to the furniture and tableware, everything seems taken out of a comic, or a black and white cartoon, and patrons stick out like a sore thumb. The contrast is quite striking.

When Korean magazine Hallyusg visited Cafe Yeonnam-dong 239-20 back in April, they described it as a small venue capable of sitting around 20 people. Even so, patrons could expect to wait a while for their orders, especially on busy days, as the cafe only had a staff of one, the owner. But that may have changed following the positive feedback both in South Korea and abroad.

So if you’ve ever wanted to star in your real-life version of that Take on Me music video, this cool cafe is probably the closest you can get.