Seocho-gu Yangjaecheon Cafe Street Shines in Handicraft Industry

Seocho-gu Develops Branding Concept for ‘Salon in Yangjaecheon’, Creating a High-Class, Nature-Friendly Commercial District

Three Themes: ‘High-End’, ‘Relaxed’, and ‘Exotic’; Classic and Jazz Music Flow, Residents’ Meetings and Exchanges Continue

The District Holds a ‘Craft Exhibition’ at the ‘Salon in Yangjaecheon Gallery’ Until May 5

Inviting Five Famous Craft Artists to Exhibit and Sell Over 70 Pieces Including Lacquerware, Ceramics, and Glass Crafts

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) is actively promoting a project to transform the ‘Yangjaecheon-gil commercial district (around Yangjaecheon-ro and Nonhyeon-ro 27-gil)’, known as the Yangjaecheon cafe street, into a space that offers residents a local lifestyle experience and attracts citizens.

Currently, the Yangjaecheon-gil commercial district is lined with about 140 European-style unique shops such as wine bars, cafes, and restaurants, creating an exotic cultural atmosphere. Since April last year, it has been selected for Seoul’s ‘Local Brand Commercial District Development Project’ and is receiving 3 billion KRW in city funding over three years.

First, the district analyzed the characteristics of each commercial area and developed the branding ‘Salon in Yangjaecheon.’ This branding embodies the meaning of creating a high-class, nature-friendly commercial district where classic and jazz music flow, and residents’ meetings and exchanges never cease, under the three themes of ‘High-End,’ ‘Relaxed,’ and ‘Exotic.’ In other words, the plan is to make it a commercial district that people want to visit and stay in.

To this end, the district is establishing a differentiated, high-quality cultural and artistic commercial district foundation using the craft industry as a medium for brand activation. The first step is the craft exhibition held at the ‘Salon in Yangjaecheon Gallery’ (42 Yangjaecheon-ro 21-gil, 1st floor) until April 5.

This exhibition, under the theme ‘Maeil Sogam (每日所感),’ meaning the harmonious blend of the relaxed charm of Yangjaecheon-gil and the beauty of Korean crafts, has been open since April 8. Five famous craft artists, including lacquerware artist Park Soo-yi, who exhibited at the Seoul Craft Museum, are invited to display over 70 pieces of lacquerware, ceramics, glass crafts, and more. In one corner of the space, experiential programs such as ‘Tea Pairing with Crafts’ and ‘Candle Making Classes’ are held, along with artwork sales. Currently, works worth about 6 million KRW have been sold, gaining popularity.

Starting next month, a ‘Craft Shop’ linked to crafts will open in Yangjaecheon, where visitors can appreciate and purchase craft items. Especially, emerging artists will be actively involved to showcase crafts with new sensibilities. Additionally, craft events are being planned in connection with the Seoripul Festival held in September.

Moreover, the district is supporting ‘Seocho-gu Youth Craft’ for the creation of handcrafted works. The ‘Seocho-gu Youth Craft Training Program’ will provide education and marketing support to young craft-related individuals residing or active in Seocho-gu, aiming to discover local creators who generate regional value.

Meanwhile, the district plans to link the Yangjaecheon-gil commercial district with the Maljukgeori commercial district near Yangjae Station, designated last year by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups as the ‘No. 1 Alley-type Shopping District,’ to make it a representative alley commercial district of Seocho. To this end, the district will promote ▲the creation of an arc road connecting the two commercial districts ▲division of commercial roles (Yangjaecheon-gil focusing on cafes, wine bars, and crafts; Maljukgeori on restaurants, liquor, daily necessities, etc.) ▲and the establishment of an integrated online shopping mall for the commercial districts.

Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We will spare no support to make ‘Salon in Yangjaecheon,’ linked with the craft industry, a space where daily life becomes art for residents and a successful case of commercial district revitalization.”

Guro-gu’s Street Park Transforms into a Gallery

‘Sculpture Exhibition’ Held from March 20 to April 19 with 10 Artists Participating

On the 30th, a ‘Meet the Artists’ Event Will Take Place with Guided Tours Explaining the Works

The street park in Guro-gu is reborn as a gallery.

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) announced on the 15th that “to provide residents with opportunities to enjoy art without visiting a museum, outdoor sculpture works will be exhibited for a month.”

The district will hold a ‘Sculpture Exhibition’ at Guro Street Park from March 20 to April 19.

The ‘Sculpture Exhibition’ is an outdoor sculpture exhibition designed to expand the base of contemporary sculpture.

The park will display a total of 10 sculptures, including ▲Landscape with the Little Prince (Kim Jeong-yeon) ▲Meditation (Jo Young-cheol) ▲Vivid Dream (Lee Yong-tae) ▲Shall We Kiss? (Park Jae-seok) ▲Puppy (Lee Myung-hoon) ▲Walking Around the Earth (Lee Chang-hee) ▲Unconditional Love (Jeon Jong-mu) ▲Intertwined Trees, Plum Blossoms, and Deer (Kim Seok) ▲My Left Hand (Park Hyung-oh) ▲Proposal (Jeon Shin-duk).

On the 30th, a ‘Meet the Artists’ event will be held at the same location.

Starting at 4:30 PM with a busking performance to excite residents, the event will continue with a guided tour of the artworks and a discussion among participants. During the tour, each artist will provide in-depth explanations of their works.

A Guro-gu official said, “We hope visitors enjoy a walk in the park with the warm spring atmosphere while appreciating culture during the exhibition period,” and added, “We will continue to prepare various events so that residents can enjoy cultural life anytime and anywhere.”