섬유기획전 《안식의 결 Texture of Rest》

Welcome to K-Culture Travel! This cultural journey features a place where old factories and trendy modern culture exist together beautifully. This is the story of Seongsu-dong Cafe Street. Since the 1960s, Seongsu-dong was a major industrial area in Seoul, famous for handmade shoes, steel, and printing industries. However, after the IMF financial crisis, many factories closed down and the area went into decline. But in the 2010s, young artists, designers, and entrepreneurs began moving into the area. Through this change, Seongsu-dong was reborn as a center for culture and arts. The place that best shows this transformation is Seongsu-dong Cafe Street. This street, centered around Yeonmujang-gil, came back to life as old factories were creatively transformed into stylish spaces. Cafes, bakeries, and boutiques moved in, keeping the original concrete walls and steel structures to create a unique atmosphere. Thanks to this, young people and foreign tourists visit constantly. Every weekend, various brands open pop-up stores here, making it a center of trends. Seongsu-dong Cafe Street is full of stylish and creative cafes. One special place is Grandfather's Factory, a cafe with an old exterior but a very modern interior that creates a unique vintage charm. This cafe also appeared as a location in the drama Vincenzo. There's a funny scene where Hong Cha-young suggests a cool iced americano to Vincenzo, an Italian mafia lawyer who orders espresso double shots. This scene made many viewers laugh. Vincenzo: In Italy, americano is no different from dirty water. Hong Cha-young: (Looking at the part-time worker) I'll have one iced dirty water, please. Vincenzo reveals the truth about her father's death and tells her to stay away from Babel Group. Hong Cha-young becomes angry at this truth and insists she will fight until the end. This scene takes place on a terrace surrounded by plants. Unlike their heavy conversation, the atmosphere feels warm and relaxed. Viewers watching these two people in conflict hope that someday they will become strong partners fighting against evil together. Now Seongsu-dong Cafe Street has become more than just a trendy place. It has become a cultural space where new feelings and stories bloom every day. Take a cup of coffee and walk slowly through this street. An ordinary day here can become a special memory.

"Which neighborhood you head for in Seoul depends on what you want to buy. In Seongsu, you try things out; in Hongdae, you find new brands; and in Myeongdong, you fill a bag with what you like. Seongsu-dong is less a place where brands sell things than a place where you try them first. From the 1970s to the early 2000s, it was an industrial district full of leather factories, auto repair shops, and warehouses. The factories closed after the Asian financial crisis and the neighborhood sat empty for a while, but cheap rents drew young creators in one by one. Now every made-over warehouse holds a brand showroom or a pop-up store. At AMORE SEONGSU, you can freely try more than 2,000 cosmetic products. Even a washbasin is set up inside the store, so you can test cleansers on the spot. There are showrooms too, from brands like OIMU, which redesigns familiar objects such as matches, erasers, and incense. Hongdae draws young creators and new brands, so every alley has its own character. Korean street fashion labels often open their first store here. The first thisisneverthat flagship and the first offline store for MUSINSA’s own label are both in Hongdae. KAKAO FRIENDS and LINE FRIENDS have stores on the same street. Myeongdong brings together street-level shops, department stores, duty-free stores, and an underground arcade on a single street. Cosmetics stores are especially dense here, and at Olive Young Myeongdong Town you can compare, test, and buy across many brands in one place. The nearby Daiso Myeongdong Main Store occupies all 12 floors of its building. Stationery, kitchenware, socks, accessories, and much more can all be scored for a few thousand won without a second thought. For a souvenir with more to it, try the gift shops at the palaces and museums. Hand mirrors finished in mother-of-pearl inlay, keyrings cut from the same shell, silk bokjumeoni fortune pouches, travel mugs carrying traditional patterns, Hangeul name stamps: things you will not easily find elsewhere. If you want the same sorts of things at a friendlier price, Namdaemun Market, with more than 600 years of history, is a good option. Look for clothes in Seongsu and Hongdae, cosmetics and household goods in Myeongdong, and traditional souvenirs at the palace gift shops. The three areas are within 30 minutes of one another by subway, so a single day covers all of them. "