Long Weekend Haus DDP: Couple Stays & Seoul Station Shared Lodging
Many travelers picking a place to stay near Seoul Station as a couple wonder whether Airbnb-style shared lodging is actually legal in Korea. The short answer is that a regulatory sandbox program allowing domestic guests to use foreigner-only tourist accommodations does officially exist.
On November 28, 2019, the Ministry of Science and ICT designated WeHome under the ICT regulatory sandbox program (designation number 2019-21-a), and WeHome launched its official service on July 15, 2020. Hosts operating under the foreigner tourist home stay business (oedo-minbak) license who received this special exemption can legally accept domestic (Korean) bookings only through WeHome and platforms linked with WeHome. Couples willing to stay slightly beyond walking distance from Seoul Station might also compare licensed accommodations such as Long Weekend Haus near Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).
Airbnb and the Shared Lodging Regulatory Sandbox
Airbnb itself has never been separately designated as an operator under Korea's shared lodging regulatory sandbox. Instead, hosts who hold WeHome's special exemption list their properties on Airbnb as well, through an open hosting arrangement.
Under WeHome's rules, any exempted host's listing that appears on other platforms, including Airbnb, must display the notice that legal domestic bookings are only valid through WeHome, along with the host's WeHome listing number. If a domestic guest books and pays directly through the Airbnb app, that booking is classified as a violation of the exemption terms.
So even if you find a private listing near Seoul Station through the Airbnb app, a domestic booking is only legal if it is routed back through WeHome. You can browse listings near Seoul Station on Airbnb.
Long Weekend Haus DDP
Long Weekend Haus DDP is located at 15-3 Ssangnim-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, near Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). Guests exceeding the standard occupancy are charged an extra 10,000 KRW per person per night (reconfirmed on the official page as of 2026-09-19).
The property operates 12 rooms across 7 room types (numbered 101 to 702), and occupancy limits vary by room. For a couple, Room 101 Garden Suite (standard occupancy 2, maximum 4, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 36 sqm) or the Terrace/Skyline Suites (Rooms 501, 601, 701; standard occupancy 2, maximum 4, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 32 sqm) would suit. If two couples want to split bedrooms, Rooms 201, 301, or 401 Dining Suite (standard occupancy 2, maximum 4, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 35 sqm) work well. For groups of four or more, Room 702 Penthouse (standard occupancy 4, maximum 8, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 69 sqm) covers it in one booking.
Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 11:00, and the property uses a self check-in kiosk, so couples arriving late do not need to worry about front desk hours. All rooms are non-smoking, pets are not allowed, and Wi-Fi is free. A flexible rate plan allows free cancellation up to 14 days before check-in, and bookings of 3 nights or more receive an official 10% discount. The lead guest must be at least 19 years old.
The property holds an aggregated Trip.com rating of 9.5 out of 10 based on 66 reviews (checked 2026-09-14). Room details and booking are available on the Trip.com Long Weekend Haus page.
WeHome and the Shared Lodging Platform Sandbox
WeHome received its ICT regulatory sandbox designation for shared lodging (designation number 2019-21-a) from the Ministry of Science and ICT on November 28, 2019, and began service on July 15, 2020.
The exemption applies to housing located within a 1 km radius of stations on Seoul subway lines 1 through 9 (for Line 1, limited to the Seoul metropolitan section), and the total number of exempted hosts is capped at 4,000. Existing oedo-minbak hosts, who already operate 365 days a year for foreign guests, may additionally host domestic guests for up to 180 days. New hosts who are not registered under oedo-minbak can operate for up to 180 days serving both domestic and foreign guests.
On March 13, 2025, WeHome received an official notice from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirming it passed the review for permanent authorization. Once this conversion to permanent authorization is finalized, the exemption will continue without the two-year business term limit. Couples looking for a WeHome-exempted listing near Seoul Station can simply search the area on the WeHome app or website.
Kozaza, a Hanok Stay Shared Lodging Platform
Kozaza (코자자) is a hanok-based accommodation booking platform founded in 2012, established by Cho San-gu, the same founder behind WeHome, before he launched WeHome.
The hanok stays that Kozaza handles are classified under the Tourism Promotion Act as a hanok experience business, a category distinct from the foreigner tourist home stay business. The hanok experience business has no residency requirement and no restriction on domestic guest bookings, meaning Kozaza's hanok listings are legal for domestic bookings without needing to go through the regulatory sandbox exemption at all.
Couples looking for a hanok stay near Seoul Station can simply choose listings registered as hanok experience businesses in Kozaza's search results.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Regulatory Sandbox Program
The shared lodging exemption was approved by the Ministry of Science and ICT, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism handling the relevant coordination. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy was not the approving body for this exemption.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy separately operates an industrial convergence regulatory sandbox through the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). This channel reviews industrial and technology projects such as urban hydrogen refueling stations or pay-per-use electric vehicle charging outlets, and shared lodging cases are not within its scope.
- ICT Convergence Regulatory Sandbox: Ministry of Science and ICT (handles the WeHome exemption)
- Industrial Convergence Regulatory Sandbox: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, operated through the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT)
- Innovative Financial Services Sandbox: Financial Services Commission
- Regulation-Free Special Zones: Ministry of SMEs and Startups
When choosing a place to stay near Seoul Station, the relevant sandbox documentation is the designation document WeHome received from the Ministry of Science and ICT. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is a separate agency and did not issue that designation. Information on applying to the industrial convergence regulatory sandbox is available on the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Industrial Convergence Regulatory Sandbox website.
Sources: WeHome ICT Regulatory Sandbox Designation Document
Sources: WeHome Shared Lodging Exemption and Authorization Guide
Sources: WeHome Exemption Compliance Checklist
Sources: Introduction to the Foreigner Tourist Home Stay Business
Sources: Seoul Metropolitan Government Shared Lodging Regulatory Sandbox Guide
Sources: Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Industrial Convergence Regulatory Sandbox (KIAT)
Sources: Article on Kozaza and the Hanok Experience Business Classification