Dongjak-gu, Recruiting Operator for Emotional Hanok Cafe 'Damsodang'

Young Operators Receive Free Support for Interior Design and Coffee Machines and Earn Income

A high-end, emotional Hanok cafe is being established under Kkachisan in Dongjak-gu.

Dongjak-gu (District Mayor Park Il-ha) announced that it is recruiting young operators for the Hanok-style healing cafe ‘Damsodang (287 Sadang-dong)’, which is set to open in June.

This Hanok cafe project is part of the Sadang 4-dong urban regeneration revitalization project, aimed at providing visitors to Kkachisan Park with a resting place where they can enjoy cultural heritage and the natural atmosphere, while also creating jobs for young people.

Accordingly, the district purchased the site of an old building last year, demolished it, and completed the new construction on the 8th of this month.

The Hanok cafe ‘Damsodang’ has a total floor area of 131.58㎡, with 1st and 2nd floors above ground, and a total seating capacity of 30. The outdoor spaces on the 1st and 2nd floors are equipped with retaining wall benches, sunshades, tables, etc., so that residents who do not use the cafe can also use it as a resting place.

At the back of the cafe, a connecting passage to the trail has been opened so that visitors can naturally enjoy the surrounding scenery.

The operating hours will be decided in consultation with the newly selected young operator.

In particular, ‘Damsodang’ means a space where people gather and talk. This name was selected last month through a public contest to enhance residents’ interest while reflecting the local characteristics of the traditional Hanok-style building and the cultural heritage trail.

Youth who wish to operate ‘Damsodang’ can check the announcement on the district website under ‘Notices & Announcements’ by the 30th of this month, fill out the application form, and submit it in person to the Economic Policy Division or via email.

Eligibility requirements as of the announcement date are: ▲ youth aged 19 to 39 residing in Dongjak-gu ▲ if an organization, the representative and members must be youth of Dongjak-gu ▲ or a group of university (graduate) students within the district. Applicants must be prospective entrepreneurs who are not currently operating a cafe as of the announcement date.

The final tenant will be confirmed in May after review by the screening committee following the application deadline, and will be able to operate ‘Damsodang’ for seven months from the date of use approval.

In the future, the district will provide the operator with the cafe space as well as manufacturing equipment such as coffee machines and ice makers, and will support customized professional consulting in areas such as management, taxation, accounting, and law.

For detailed information regarding the youth cafe recruitment and operation, please contact the Economic Policy Division.

The district plans to develop ‘Damsodang’ as a landmark where culture can be enjoyed in nature, linking it with the Kkachisan hiking trail surrounding the area and the Lee Jeong-yeong Tomb trail, a Seoul City Tangible Cultural Property opened this month.

Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, “The newly established ‘Damsodang’ is a distinctive space where people can enjoy history and culture together with nature in the heart of Seoul,” and added, “We hope it will become a local attraction by operating a youth cafe that preserves the traditional Hanok along with the Lee Jeong-yeong Tomb trail.”