[The Future of Seochon](17) "2080 in 10 Years of Seochon, Such Diversity for the First Time... Opportunities for Businesses Too"

Large and Small Companies Continue Direct and Indirect Business Activities in Seochon
Focus on Branding, Training, and Revenue Generation
Seochon Era After Blue House Opening... "Noticeable Increase in Visitors of Various Age Groups"
Expectations for Seochon Development and Growth Amid Endemic Overlap

Daelim Museum.

"In my 10 years living in Seochon, this is the first time I've seen such a significant increase in people of all ages, from their 20s to their 80s, all at once."

Seochon is often known as a "neighborhood without companies," but there are actually many large and small businesses here engaged in direct and indirect management activities. In particular, cultural content-based businesses responsible for branding and revenue generation play a central role. 'The Future of Seochon'

Daelim Museum is one of them. Daelim Museum is operated by the Daelim Cultural Foundation, which oversees the cultural division of DL Holdings. Since its opening in 1997 and settling in Seochon in 2002, Daelim Museum has continuously supported the area. Han Jeong-hee, Deputy Director of Daelim Museum, said, "The museum is located in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the way to Cheongwadae (the Blue House), so there is great anticipation regarding the opening of Cheongwadae and the future changes in Seochon." Deputy Director Han added, "I have been working in Seochon for 10 years, and recently I have felt that the number of people on weekends has increased significantly." She explained that the recent visitors to Seochon range widely in age from their 20s to over 80s, and family visitors have also increased.

Deputy Director Han welcomed these changes. She expects opportunities for the museum as well. Before COVID-19, the museum sometimes attracted between 5,000 and up to 10,000 visitors daily, but the prolonged pandemic brought challenging times. However, recently, with the endemic phase of the infectious disease and the opening of Cheongwadae, the museum has entered a new phase not only in visitor recovery but also in changes to exhibition methods and content.

She said, "We constantly think about exhibition content that reinterprets the value of everyday objects easily found around us, allowing the public to enjoy art in daily life," adding, "Although we do not segment our exhibition targets, there will be more opportunities to promote exhibitions and projects to families and children. We plan to use statistics after exhibitions." Starting as Korea's first photography-specialized museum, Daelim Museum now introduces exhibitions in various fields such as photography, design, and fine arts, expanding its boundaries. It is preparing a new exhibition for late autumn this year.

Foreigners are experiencing kimchi making at 'Museum Kimchigan'.

Seochon is also home to many corporate training centers such as the Yujin Human Resources Development Institute, which are hopeful about Seochon's development and progress. Yujin Human Resources Development Institute, which opened in 2011 in Cheongun-dong, Jongno-gu, has produced numerous talents to date. It has three lecture buildings that can accommodate about 300 people and lodging facilities that can house around 60 people simultaneously. GS Construction Research Institute in Ok-in-dong, Jongno-gu, is also used for training centers, in-house forums, and various events.

The social contribution space 'Museum Kimchigan' by Pulmuone, located near Seochon on Insadong-gil (Gwanhun-dong), is also watching Seochon's development with hopeful eyes. They believe that the increase in visitors to Seochon can serve as an opportunity to attract attention to this area as well. After closing due to COVID-19, it recently reopened last month with the special exhibition 'The Four Seasons of Kimchi,' and visitor numbers are gradually increasing. Museum Kimchigan started as the privately operated 'Myungga Kimchi Museum' in 1986, which Pulmuone acquired in 1987 and has operated ever since. Despite difficulties during the 1997 IMF financial crisis, the museum has continuously maintained its presence out of a sense of responsibility as the only place where children, youth, and foreigners can learn about kimchi.

A representative of Museum Kimchigan said, "We operate the museum as a food culture project to uphold a proper kimchi museum, not as a profit-making business, with pride in preserving a museum that represents Korea and promotes kimchi," adding, "At a time when Seochon is being reappraised and nearby tourism is increasing again, we hope the museum, from the experience space where visitors mix kimchi filling into salted cabbage about the size of three fingers to the space introducing the lives of Koreans related to kimchi, will be loved even more."