Gwangju Nam-gu Creates Retro Photo Studio and Salon in Sajik-dong

Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, announced on the 11th that it will consecutively promote the second project linked to the Time Post Office, called the 'Salon de Sajik' project, as it embarks on establishing a Time Post Office to revitalize the Sajik-dong local economy and attract tourists.

Salon de Sajik is a subsidiary space to support the activation of the Time Post Office. It is a project to create various hubs within a 10-minute walk from the Time Post Office, including an analog photo studio, a storage facility for mail, a souvenir shop, and various salons.

Nam-gu plans to invest about 2 billion KRW to establish ▲an analog photo studio ▲a storage facility and souvenir shop ▲a youth salon ▲Nokseong Sanghoe ▲a gallery salon at five locations around the Time Post Office by July next year.

To this end, Nam-gu has purchased vacant houses in each hub area, and among the five hub spaces, construction of the youth salon and Nokseong Sanghoe humanities salon will begin in July and be unveiled in November.

The analog photo studio will be built with a retro exterior reminiscent of the Chowoen Photo Studio from the movie "Christmas in August," while the interior will be equipped with state-of-the-art digital equipment, enabling photo shooting, video production, and printing.

The storage facility and souvenir shop will be located on the site of the former elderly care center opposite the Choi Rich Family House. The basement and first floor will serve as storage for mail, photos, and various items, while the second floor will be used as a space for producing and selling souvenirs.

The youth salon will be transformed by remodeling a hanok building into a space for young people. It will operate as a shared office, workshop, and various startup support programs, and is expected to introduce a space rental service to support the active activities of youth.

The humanities salon, Nokseong Sanghoe, will be housed in the old Nokseong Sanghoe building, which was used as a judo supply and athlete training center during the Japanese colonial period. It is the only existing Western-style modern commercial building in Gwangju. The first floor will be used as a humanities bookstore and exhibition space, and the second floor will serve as a humanities community area.

Additionally, the gallery salon will be created by remodeling a vacant house near the Acoustic Guitar Street. It will be used as a gallery-style cafe offering traditional tea, beverages, fusion food, and hosting exhibitions and contests for local artists' works.

A Nam-gu official said, "We will do our best to promote the Time Post Office and Salon de Sajik projects so that Sajik-dong, which has lost its vitality, regains its old charm and becomes a hot place along with Yangnim-dong."