Teheran-ro, running from Gangnam toward Samseong, received its name in the 1970s to commemorate friendship between Korea and Iran. Roads in Seoul and Tehran took the other city’s name. That diplomatic exchange survives as one of Korea’s best-known business addresses.
A road name outlives changing politics
Even as bilateral and international politics changed, Teheran-ro acquired its own finance and technology identity. Do not read the name through current stereotypes about Iran; distinguish the naming moment from later urban development.
Small companies occupy layers inside towers
One building can contain a corporation, startups, tax and law offices, clinics, and restaurants. The number of companies is not the number of buildings. Follow lobby security and elevator access.
Lunch reveals the hidden population
Side streets that seem empty fill with queues and delivery vehicles at noon. Corporate life depends on cooking, serving, cleaning, and maintenance as well as office work. Do not occupy a busy restaurant table for hours with a laptop.