[Instagram Walk] Popsipetel - A Treasure Trove for Music and Movie Enthusiasts

Located in a residential alley near Hongdae Station
Neatly organized CDs, LPs, and DVDs
Album jackets each with unique charm
Feels like visiting a gallery

Kim Kyung-jin, the owner who opened the store in 2017,
also conducts music lectures about 10 times a month,
sharing stories about participants, singers, and films

'Popsypetel' records (LP) displayed inside the showcase. / Photo by Juhee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The spread of digital devices has transformed many aspects of daily life. For example, to listen to music, one used to need physical storage media like records (LPs), tapes, or CDs, along with separate machines to play them. But now, none of these physical forms are necessary. All you need is a smartphone...

Not only can you listen to your favorite songs anytime and anywhere, but recent music applications (apps) automatically curate playlists tailored to your tastes through recommendation algorithms once you set a few preferred singers or songs. They also offer lists suited to moods, weather, genres, and more. Users only need to tap a few times. Albums, which were once essential for listening to music, have now lost their functional value.

However, their value as physical objects has not disappeared. Although the number of people seeking albums has sharply declined compared to the past, people still look for items that have become 'useless' in some sense. The 'Newtro' (New+Retro) craze, especially among people in their 20s and 30s, is related to this. Some pay high prices to buy albums they could easily stream with a single search, and others purchase hard-to-find albums in Korea directly from foreign websites. In the digitalization era where tangible media is gradually disappearing, the significance of these items paradoxically stands out even more.

'Popsipetel,' a record store located in Mapo, Seoul, is like a 'treasure trove' for those who want to collect albums. If you walk about 10 minutes through a residential alley near Hongdae Entrance Station on Subway Line 2, you will reach this place on the first floor of a building. Upon entering, your eyes are first drawn to neatly organized CDs, DVDs, LPs, and books sorted by category. It’s quite enjoyable to spot the names of familiar singers among the shelves packed with albums.

Movie DVDs displayed on the table.
Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

Album jackets can be considered visual artworks that express the music contained within. Looking at the uniquely charming jackets feels like visiting an art gallery. True to a record store, calm and dreamy background music (BGM) that is rarely heard on the streets plays, creating a unique and cozy atmosphere.

Kim Kyungjin, the owner who has been running Popsipetel since November 2017, was an ordinary office worker at a record company. When a project at the company ended, he naturally left his job. Although he had worked for over ten years at various record companies because of his love for music, he said he never felt fully satisfied.

Kim, who spent his middle and high school years in the 1980s, was a music enthusiast deeply immersed in British rock bands like Pink Floyd and The Beatles. Since then, he had dreamed of running a record store. He founded Popsipetel with the idea of creating a space not just for selling albums but for freely sharing music stories with people. He said, "It’s the work I want to do and the only thing I can do. I stock music that I hope people will listen to, mostly pop music, but I want to introduce interesting music that people don’t know much about rather than Billboard hits or mainstream music."

Kim says that although Popsipetel looks like a record store, it is not just a place to sell albums. One of the reasons he opened Popsipetel is the music lectures he holds about ten times a month. He personally selects a topic related to music, singers, or movies and discusses it with participants.

He said, "Nowadays, people tend to listen to good music just once and then move on, which is regrettable. I wanted to share with people that knowing the background or hidden stories behind a song broadens the way you enjoy music." For example, when you learn about one song, you also get to know the artist and expand your interest to other music involving that artist, helping you find your own taste.

Inside the record store 'Popsypetel' in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Music CDs and movie DVDs displayed in the showcase.
Photo by Joohee Kang kjh818@asiae.co.kr

Kim expressed regret that although streaming apps’ recommendation features can be helpful, they have caused people recently to lose interest in what they truly like. At first glance, it might seem disconnected from reality to criticize the widespread use of AI-powered content recommendations in many apps. However, he pointed out that while there are countless playlists within apps, people often lack their own 'personal playlists.' Songs that are listened to once are forgotten whether liked or disliked, and other music fills the void. Music thus does not stay in people’s hearts but is merely 'consumed.' He said, "It’s inevitable as the times change, but maybe people have become too accustomed to being spoon-fed. Recommendation features reflect others’ tastes, not mine. Finding what you truly like is important."

Therefore, Kim defines Popsipetel as "a space to find your taste through music." The fact that some people still seek albums that are no longer necessary might be because these items help maintain the fading threads of communication. He encourages people to seriously explore their tastes not only in music but also in other fields. He said, "If you look a little closer, you’ll find many fun charms different from what you knew," and added that Popsipetel is always open to those seeking their tastes.