Daegu (대구, 大邱), formerly romanized as Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is South Korea's fourth largest city (after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon), and the third largest metropolitan area in the nation, with over 2.5 million residents. Daegu is in southeastern Korea, about 80 km (50 miles) from the seacoast, near the Geumho River and its main stream, Nakdong River in Gyeongsang-do.

Understand

Daegu
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       20     5 −4       28     8 −2       47     13 3       62     21 8       80     25 14       142     28 18       224     30 22       236     31 23       143     27 18       34     22 11       30     15 4       15     8 0 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Average temperature and precipitation
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0.8     41 25       1.1     46 28       1.9     55 37       2.4     70 46       3.1     77 57       5.6     82 64       8.8     86 72       9.3     88 73       5.6     81 64       1.3     72 52       1.2     59 39       0.6     46 32 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Daegu is in the middle of a wide, flat rectangular valley, and hosts one of the country's largest U.S. military bases. It was promoted to a federal territory city (a city under the direct control of the central government) in 1981. In addition, in 1995, it was promoted from a federal territory city to a metropolitan city and maintains the current name of Daegu Metropolitan City. The obligatory South Korean slogan for the city is 'Colorful Daegu'. The Chinese character "大", which means there are many large hills, was used.

Daegu administers itself, although it is mostly surrounded by North Gyeongsang province and therefore is placed there in our hierarchy. Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province are often referred to as Daegu-Gyeongbuk, with a total population of over 5 million. During the Joseon Dynasty period, the city was the capital of Gyeongsang-do, which was one of the traditional eight provinces of the country.

Climate

Daegu has a cool version of a humid subtropical climate. The mountains that comprise the basin trap hot and humid air. Similarly, in winter, cold air lies in the basin. The area receives little precipitation except during the rainy season of summer, and is sunny throughout much of the year. The average temperature for January, the coldest month in Daegu, is -4 °C (25 °F) and for August, the warmest month, is 31 °C (88 °F). Daegu's nickname is "Daefrica" (대프리카) because it is deemed as hot as Africa. In summer they install sculptures on the streets to make fun of this nickname.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Daegu International Airport  

The airport is on the east side of the city. To go to the downtown area, take a bus (No. 401, fare: ₩1,100) or ride a taxi. A taxi ride to the Dongsungro district in the center of the city costs around ₩7,000 and takes 25 minutes, while the fare for the 10-minute ride to the Dongdaegu train station is around ₩3,000.

Hotel Airport in the area has a room rate from around ₩130,000 including tax.

By train

Dongdaegu station

There are two train stations in the city. One is Dongdaegu (East Daegu) station and the other is Daegu station. Both stations are connected by Subway Line 1.

You can take high speed KTX train or quite inexpensive Seamaeul and Mugunghwa train if you are to spend less on transportation.

• 2 Dongdaegu Station (updated Oct 2022)
• 3 Daegu Station (updated Oct 2022)

For traveling by train, visit the Korail website. It provides timetables, fare, and some information around their stations.

By car

Gyeongbu Expressway: The longest expressway in the country from Seoul to Busan

Central Expressway: An expressway in the eastern part of the country, contrary to its name.

By bus

Daegu is in the middle of the extensive intercity bus system in South Korea. Buses go directly from Daegu to Seoul in just under 4 hours. Integrated Express Bus Website provides ticket reservation service. The bus fare varies.

Get around

Daegu's subway metro map

By public transportation

Daegu has three subway metro lines. The first two lines intersect at the main downtown stop of Banwoldang.

Line 1 (red line) runs from Daegok to Ansim and Line 2 (green line) runs from Munyang to Sawol. Stops are announced in Korean and in English. Subways typically run from 05:30 to 23:30. Tickets can be purchased from machines.

To enter the subway, scan your token and hold on to it because you will need to insert the same token as you exit.

The monorail, Line 3 (yellow line) is connected in the downtown with Line 1 at Myeongdeok Station and Line 2 at Sinam Station. Line 3 will run from Chilgok to Beommul.

Ticket machines marked "complimentary tickets" are for people with specific types of South Korean Identity cards, such as pensioners.

In addition to the subway, there is a way to travel by bus. The fare is ₩400 for children, ₩850 for teenagers and ₩1,250 for adults. In the case of express buses, the price is a little higher.

People can transfer up to 30 minutes after getting off, and they can transfer to Daegu city buses, urban railroads, Yeongcheon city buses, and Gyeongsan city buses.

By taxi

Taxis are cheap and easy to find. The basic fare is ₩3,300, and ₩100 per 134m and ₩100 per 32 seconds will be charged. People in Daegu do not use street addresses. To give directions, you should give the nearest landmark to your destination such as a department store, hotel, or movie theater.

By tour bus

Daegu operates a City Tour Bus that passes by many cultural remains and otherwise touristy places, runs 5 times a day. It is open year-round and operates from 10:00 everyday departing from Daegu Tourist Information Center, Dongdaegu Train Station and Banwoldang. It costs about ₩5,000 for an adult with discounted fares for school students. Road map and leaflet can be downloaded from here.

See

Parks include Bongmu Reports Park between Daegu Airport and the entrance of Mt. Palgong, it has playgrounds and equipment for tennis, Jokku, badminton, shooting and so on; you can enjoy of outdoor variety sports. Not only Mt. Palgong, but also Apsan Park, 83 Tower, Daegu Arboretum, Dalsong Park, are also good for sightseeing.

E-World

• 1 Duryu Park (두류공원), 161, Duryugongwon-ro, Dalseo-gu, ☏ +82 053-803-7470. 24 hours. It is a park built around Duryusan Mountain and Geumbongsan Mountain. (Duryusan Mountain is where E-World 83 Tower is located, and the mountain behind the Culture and Arts Center is Geumbongsan Mountain.) There are Daegu's famous landmark, E-World 83 Tower, Duryu Library, various sports facilities that contribute to improving citizens' health, and the Culture and Arts Center in the park. You can also enter the park with your dog. (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 E-World and 83 Tower. A European-styled theme park, featuring the 202-meter-high 83 Tower, 20 and more kinds of amusement facilities and rides, a zoo, and ice rink. The Sky Lounge and observation platform on the 83rd floor of the 83 Tower offers a panoramic view city and various ethnic food restaurants offer a fine array of tastes. The 83 Tower Luminarie which uses 8.3 million LED bulbs, shows one of the largest light festivals in the nation. (updated Jul 2018)
• 3 The Arc (Gangjeong-Goryeong Weir). The longest and largest in volume of the sixteen weirs in the four major rivers in Korea. The scenery of the surrounding area, including the reeds and sunset, is very beautiful. Bicycle roads are connected along the Nakdong River. Here, you can find diverse water-friendly cultural spaces in harmony, such as The Arc, a water-themed cultural center, designed by world-class architect, Hani Rashid. (updated Jul 2018)
• 4 Kim Gwangseok-gil Street. A mural street near Bangcheon Market where the now deceased Kim Gwangseok used to live. The 350-m-long wall has statues and murals depicting his life and music. Every autumn, the area of Bangcheon Market and Dongseongno hosts a “Kim Gwangseok’s Singing Contest.” (updated Jul 2018)
• 5 Hillcrest. Hillcrest is a theme park full of things to see and experience such as the herb garden, Zoo-Zoo Land and Reptile Park exhibiting the world's reptiles. There are amusement facilities, rides, and the Agriculture Folk Exhibition Hall. (updated Oct 2022)
• 6 Suseong Lake. Around Suseong Lake, you will find benches, gazebos, trees, a promenade, a multi-cultural amusement park 'Suseong Land' and other amenities, which altogether from a resort area. In Suseong Land, there is skating rink as well as various workshops offering hands-on experience programs, which makes it a good venue for family outings and gatherings. Nearby, are a variety of restaurants and cafes, and it is also not far from the famous Deuran-gil Food Town which has long been loved as a dining out spot by Daegu citizens. (updated Oct 2022)
• 7 Gatbawi (updated Oct 2022)
• 8 Mt. Palgong (updated Oct 2022)
• 9 Gukchae Bosang Memorial Park (updated Oct 2022)
• 10 2.28 Democratic Movement Memorial Park. 2.28 Democratic Movement Memorial Park The 2.28 Democracy Movement was a voluntary resistance protest organized by high school students in Daegu to withstand the dictatorship. On February 28, 1960, about 800 high school students refused to comply with the dictatorial to attend schools on Sunday. Instead, they gathered in Banwoldang and the Gyeongsangbuk-do Government Office to rally against the government's illegality and corruption. The movement was initiated with the spirits of Daegu students and citizens, and led to the following democracy revolution in Korea. (updated Oct 2022)
• 11 Gyesan Catholic Shurch, 대구광역시 중구 계산동 2가 71-1, ☏ +82053-254-2300. The first Catholic church in the Yeongnam region and the first Presbyterian Church of Daegu – the first Christian church in the Gyeongsangbuk-do region – are inside the modern alley, and are symbolic buildings in the history of Christianity in Daegu. Featuring neo-Gothic tall spires, both churches are precious historical sources for studies of modern Korean architecture. (updated Dec 2022)
• Duryu Park, 161, Duryugongwon-ro, Dalseo-gu, ☏ +82 053-803-7470. 24 hours. This park is built around Duryu Mountain and Geumbong Mountain. There are Daegu's famous landmark, E-World 83 Tower, Duryu Library, various sports facilities that contribute to improving citizens' health, and the Culture and Arts Center in the park. It is about 20 minutes on foot from Seongdangmot Station on Line 1 or Duryu Station on Line 2. (updated Sep 2023)
• 12 Dongwha_Sa (updated Sep 2023)
• 13 Daegu Aquarium (updated Sep 2024)
• 14 Dalseong Park (updated Sep 2024)
• 15 Apsan Park (updated Sep 2024)
• 16 Bongmu Leports Park (updated Sep 2024)
• 17 Wolgwang Waterside Park (updated Sep 2024)

Festivals

Various festivals in various themes like the Colorful Daegu Festival, Dongseongno festival, Palgongsan maple festival, Biseulsan azalea festival, Korea in Motion Daegu, and so on, are held by the city, each ward, or the specific groups, all through the year. In late August, Daegu hosts the Asian Bodypainting Festival, a sister event of the World Bodypainting Festival in Seeboden, Austria.

Daegu Chimac Festival

• Every summer during July, Daegu Chimac Festival celebrates what Koreans love to enjoy, chicken with beer, and will take place at Duryu Park in Dalseo-gu, Daegu. The term "chimac" is a portmanteau of chicken and maekju (meaning "beer"). The festival had one million visitors in 2016 and might become one of the most significant events in Korea.
• Daegu Dalgubeol Lantern Festival is an annual event where people gather altogether to make their own colorful lantern, write some wishes on the lantern and fly them together during sunset time. This event is held to celebrate Buddha's birthday every year in April or May, in Duryu Park.
• Daegu International Musical Festival Exciting melodies have filled the air across the city every summer as the city hosts its annual musical festival since 2006. Along with a splendid opening concert, the DIMF Awards, a variety of international performances attract musical manias as well as citizens. The DIMF, as the first international musical festival in Asia, offers a chance for musical producers and agencies as well as people to come together and share the joy of musicals with the world.
• 18 Colorful Daegu Festival (updated Oct 2022)

Sports

Watch baseball, one of the most popular sports in the country, at Daegu Samsung Lions Park (home to Samsung Lions) and football at DGB Daegu Bank Park (Daegu FC). Choi Won-kwon is the interim director of Daegu FC.

• 19 Daegu Samsung Lions Park (대구 삼성 라이온즈 파크), 1, Yagujeonseol-ro, Suseong-gu, ☏ +82 53-780-3300. (updated Sep 2023)
• 20 DGB Daegu Bank Park, 191, Goseong-ro, Buk-gu, ☏ +82 53-222-3600. (updated Sep 2023)

Museums

• 21 Daegu National Museum (updated Dec 2022)
• 22 Hengso Museum (updated Dec 2022)
• 23 Daegu Textile Museum (updated Sep 2024)

Work

Like all South Korean cities, Daegu has numerous job openings for English language teachers at public schools and private academies. See South Korea for details.

Buy

Daegu has several department stores and a shopping district all around downtown. Also, to the northeast, there is a Costco.

Seomun market at night

• 1 Hyundai Department Store  
• 2 Dongsungro. If you arrive in downtown, Dongseongro, you can enjoy shopping for jewelry and clothes and visiting Gyodong Market and Seomun Market. (updated Dec 2022)
• 3 Seomun market (updated Dec 2022)
• 4 Shinsegae Department Store. It is next to Dongdaegu Station and connected to the subway station. There is also an aquarium inside the department store. (updated Dec 2022)
• 5 Daegu Department Store (Debec) (in Jung-gu). (updated Dec 2022)

Eat

Specialties

Daegu Kkultteok, a famous Daegu's dish

Mungtigi (sliced raw bottom round steak)

• Daegu Jjimgalbi. The local specialty consists of beef ribs cooked in a worn out aluminum pot seasoned with spicy red pepper powder and chopped garlic. This is completely different from the steamed short ribs cooked in soy sauce served in other areas of Korea. Its unique feature is the tongue-tingling, burning sensation it creates when enjoyed with soju (hard Korean alcohol) or rice mixed with leftover spices. Unlike the steamed ribs from the Seoul and Gyeonggi Province areas, the way its sweet and spicy taste sets your tongue ablaze is unparalleled. It first appeared in the early 1970s on a residential street in Dongin-dong, Jung-gu, which has since blossomed into a small "village" of local food establishments.
• Daegu Ttarogukbap. For over fifty years, Daegu has been the only place in Korea where rice and soup are usually eaten separately, whereas other regions customarily mix their rice and soup together. In Korean, "ttaro" means "separate" and "gukbap" means "soup and rice". Putting them together to form the Korean compound word "ttarogukbap," the meaning becomes "rice and soup served separately". This dish, uniquely found in Daegu, is made with beef shank, leek, and radish cooked in a broth with plenty of red pepper powder and chopped garlic. It has an unrivaled aftertaste that is both spicy and refreshing. Its flavor is the epitome of Daegu's unique "spicy and burning" taste.
• Mungtigi. It is sliced raw bottom round steak, which can be seen all over the country, but Daegu's is the most famous. It is also called Meat sashimi, and unlike ordinary Korean-style raw beef, raw meat is served without shredding or seasoning, and is dipped in soy sauce and red pepper paste.
• Daegu Kkultteok Kkultteok means rice cake soaked in honey. Daegu Kkultteok is a glutinous rice cake made by cooking glutinous rice flour and melting brown sugar with the heat from the rice cake, making it look like it is coated with honey. It is a local food that can be tasted in Daegu. Although its exact origin or creation period is unknown, it is a rice cake that has been made and commonly sold for a long time mainly in Gyodong Market, Seomun Market, and Yommae Market in Daegu.

Places to eat or buy food

• 1 Samsong Bakery. Samsong Bakery since 1957, is the oldest bakery from Daegu. The corn bread is the most popular bread, it is also known as 'drug bread' due to its addictive taste. Filled with cream and whole kernels of corn, sweet cream cheese and diced vegetables, the store sells about 5000 per day on average. (updated Oct 2022)
• 2 Seomun Market (updated Oct 2022)
• Daegu Anjirang Gopchang Gopchang means small intestine of a cow, and ‘Anjirang Gopchang Alley’, famous for gopchang, is in Nam-gu:
• 3 Anjirang Gopchang Town (안지랑 곱창골목), 63, Daemyeong-ro 36-gil, Nam-gu (located halfway between Anjirang five-way intersection and Anjiranggol-ro Street.). Starting with Chungbuksikdang Restaurant (opened in 1979), livelihood-motivated restaurants and eateries serving marinated gopchang (intestines) began opening up here since the end of the IMF crisis in 1998 until it reached its current size today. Locals enjoy coming to the area because of the affordable prices. Recently, the area is also trying to draw in a younger demographic by targeting the younger population. In 2012, Anjirang Gopchang Alley was selected as one of the top five food themed streets in the nation by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. (updated Nov 2023)
• Omuhamu Dongseong-r, 52nd floor, Dongseong-ro 3-gil, Jung-gu, ☏ +82 53-253-3482. Monday to Friday 11:30–24:00 15:30–17:00 breaktime 23:30 Last Order Saturday to Sunday 11:30–02:00 01:30 Last Order. A safe restaurant provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Ansim Restaurant is a restaurant certified by the local government that complies with "providing and providing tools that can be eaten," "sanitary spoon management," and "wearing workers' masks.". (updated Oct 2023)

Drink

• Nightlife is usually found outside the main universities (Kyungpook, Keimyung) and in the downtown area (Banwoldang). Banwoldang is where the greatest concentration of foreign restaurants lies, and weekend nights are filled with people shopping, walking, or sitting in the innumerable pubs, coffee shops, and cafes.
• 1 Gypsy Rock (짚시랔), 23-1, Sangyeok-ro 6-gil, Buk-gu (walk past Paris Baguette with Dunkin Donuts behind you; Keep going until you see Gypsy Rock on your right). 20:00–02:00. A great underground "rock bar" in the KNU North Gate area. The lighting is a little dark, the air a little damp, the music a bit too loud, but Gypspy Rock remains one of Daegu's best watering holes. The owner of the bar, Dohan, speaks English well and is more than happy to take any request songs from his voluminous library of rock music. The bar is busiest on Friday and Saturday nights, when both students and English teachers from the nearby university come to unwind. With that in mind, it's a great place to meet locals and expats. ₩3000/draft beer. 

Sleep

Budget

There are a few options for budget accommodation in Daegu. There is one hostel in Daegu, and plenty of motels and jjimjilbang (찜질방) for the budget-minded. See the main South Korea article for more information on these options.

Guest houses are a cheap accommodation option at around US$20–30 per night.

• 1 Danim backpackers, ☏ +82 70-7532-9119, +82 10-7757-6116, [email protected]. The only hostel in Daegu is "Danimbackpackers". "Danim" means "traveling" in Korean. Danimbackpackers is located in downtown Daegu near the Banwoldang Subway Station, Daegu's central subway station where both subway lines intersect. It takes 5 minutes on foot to downtown, and is easy to get to any place in Deagu by public transportation. Staff are young and enthusiastic to help travelers and are English-speaking. Additionally, this hostel offers one free drink for every night at its bar and breakfast is included in the price. 
• 2 Union Tourist Hotel, ☏ +82 53-252-2221. The Union Tourist Hotel is just west of Daegu station. Rates are between ₩38,000 and ₩50,000 per night. The rooms are fairly large and clean but somewhat old, and the bathrooms, especially the bathtubs, are in need of remodeling. Nevertheless, it is a quiet, comfortable, and affordable place to stay. If you call to reserve a room, you receive a discount. 
• 3 LifeSpa. A short taxi ride from Jincheon subway station. It might be best to ask for 'Oncheon', or follow a map from the website. This is a jjimjilbang in west Daegu, near to the west bus terminal, Woobang Tower Land and Duryu Park. The entry fee, under ₩10,000, includes access to a large bathing area and impressive hot rooms. There are provincially themed rooms including Mungyeong and Gyeongju rock. One scorching hot room has a carriage of rocks on tracks that seem to have come from a great subterranean forge. There is a snow room, which is far more impressive than most jjimjilbang ice rooms, with falling snow from above. Unfortunately, this room can look a little ransacked if it has hosted families or drunks in the evening. There are small male and female sleeping rooms, but the open sleeping areas are fairly quiet too. The provision of sleeping mats is much worse than in most jjimjilbangs. The baths and saunas are large and impressive. There are several standard pools, a big cooled pool where kids enjoy swimming, a great pine steam sauna and a traditional hot spring room with cold fresh air. The PC room is large and in good repair, there is a restaurant and a rooftop garden and there are far more television screens than could possibly be necessary. 

Mid-range

• 4 Eldis Regent, 360 Dongsan-dong, Joong-gu, ☏ +82 53-253-7711, fax: +82 53-256-0405. Drawbacks include small parking lot that is overfilled at any event (weddings), usually weekends, but clears out in evening. Also rare for a taxi driver to recognize the name, expect to show a map or give directions from the Prince (nearby). 
• 5 Grand Daegu Hotel, 563-1 Beomeo 1-dong, Susung-gu. Rooms roughly the same as the Prince. Has a parking garage but often a tight squeeze. 
• 6 Daegu Garden, 688-1 Bongdeok3-dong, Nam-gu, ☏ +82 53-471-9911, fax: +82 53-472-7900. Rooms said to be not as nice as the Prince or Grand, although is near a more active nightlife area. 
• 7 Novotel Daegu City Center, 611 Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, ☏ +82 53-6641101, fax: +82 53-6641102, [email protected]. In the main downtown area, this is the only major international chain hotel in the city of Daegu. The hotel is closed now. rates from ₩140,250. 
• 8 Hotel Interburgo Daegu, 212, Palhyeon-gil, Suseong-gu, ☏ +82 53-602-7114. Hotel Interburgo Daegu, located next to the Geumho River, is a 5-star hotel with a variety of services and sports facilities, including mini golf. It is located approximately 10 minutes by car from Dongdaegu Bus Transfer Center and 15 minutes from Daegu International Airport. Some rooms have river views and come with heated floors and bedding. The hotel also features a casino and conference center. (updated Sep 2023)

Stay safe

Like the rest of Korea, all of Daegu is safe at any time of the day. However, westerners, especially minorities or men with Korean women, may encounter hostility from drunken men, but this is increasingly rare. The water is safe, but newcomers with sensitive stomachs should be prudent with street food or with the spice levels. Be aware that some ATM machines close before midnight if you need late-night drinking money.

Korean taxi drivers may drive somewhat erratically. Drivers are usually honest and being cheated on fares is not common.

Go next

• 24 Dodong-seowon (SW of Daegu). A Confucian academy, one of nine to make up the world heritage site Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies. (updated Jul 2019)
• The major cities of Seoul, Daejeon, Ulsan or Busan via the KTX.
• Andong, home of the annual International Mask Festival and World Heritage rated Hahoe Folk Village.
• Gayasan National Park, home to Haeinsa, one of Korea's Three Jewel Temples and a World Heritage Site.
• Gumi, nearby electronics powerhouse, but not without its fair share of hiking opportunities too.
• Gyeongju, Korea's cultural capital and home to World Heritage rated Donghaksa Temple.

Routes through Daegu

Daejeon ← Gimcheon (Gumi) ←	NW  SE	→ Shin-gyeongju → Busan
END ←	NW  S	→ Miryang → Busan
END ←	NW  S	→ Miryang → Masan