[Euljiro Rotary] "It was a family business in the printing alley... but now facing the risk of losing the right to survive"

⑥ Printing Alley Turning Like Gears
Must Guarantee the Right to Survival

Yurim Culture CEO Seodong Yeol. Photo by Jinseon Kim

Editor's NoteAnother name for Euljiro is 'Hipjiro.' Although the area presents a confusing scene with old buildings and alleys mixed with reconstruction, it offers a unique charm in that the past and present overlap. Once facing a crisis due to industrial decline, Euljiro's vitality was revived as young people continued to visit. We meet those who have established Euljiro's distinctive sensibility and those striving to carry on its legacy to envision the city's future.

Famous as 'Hipjiro' (a portmanteau of 'hip' and Euljiro), Euljiro's symbol is the 'printing alley.' Tricycles, hand trucks, and cargo trucks transporting printing paper busily roam the alleys. You can smell ink in every corner and hear the sound of printing machines running. Seo Dong-yeol, CEO of Yurim Culture, who has been maintaining the printing alley for 10 years by inheriting the family business, described Euljiro as "a place where history lives" in an interview with Asia Economy on the 28th.

Once a 'salaryman,' Seo has been going to the printing shop run by his father-in-law since 2014. He highly valued the advantage of being able to work with his family. He took pride in continuing the tradition of the printing industry. Of course, stepping into the busy printing business meant work-life balance disappeared. There are one or two days a month when he goes home after work only to return to the workplace and stay up all night. Due to the nature of printing work starting at the crack of dawn, getting a good sleep in the morning is a dream. However, as time passed, his thoughts and concerns changed. Seo said, "The first two years were tough as I was learning the job, but there were moments of excitement when thinking about how to continue the evolving printing industry."

Interior view of Yurim Munhwasa. Photo by Jinseon Kim

During his time, the Euljiro commercial district has changed a lot. While some people left, saying printing is a declining industry, many second-generation successors have entered to continue the family business. Especially after COVID-19, many acrylic companies have appeared nearby. Printing factories have disappeared, and cafes, bakeries, and restaurants have also emerged.

Seo said, "There are many vintage and hip shops now, and it's amazing how many people gather." Yet, he also expressed concern, "Currently, I worry about the survival crisis of Euljiro's printing alley." This is because Seoul City has designated the Euljiro area as the 'Sewoon Redevelopment Promotion District' as part of the 'Seoul Green Ecological Urban Re-creation' strategy and is carrying out redevelopment projects with green spaces and high-rise buildings.

Euljiro's printing alley is a place where the history of movable type printing culture, which has lasted for 600 years, remains. About 5,000 large and small printing companies are concentrated in the Chungmuro and Euljiro areas of Jung-gu. If high-rise buildings come in, not only will the commercial district collapse, but the symbol of the 'printing alley' will disappear into history. In February, printing workers opposing this gathered for the 'General Rally to Protect the Right to Survival' (hosted by Seoul Printing Information Industry Cooperative, Printing Workers' Survival Rights Protection Committee, and Cheonggyecheon Euljiro Protection Solidarity) to raise their voices demanding survival rights.

Seo said, "Euljiro's strength lies in being fast and inexpensive. This is possible because companies covering the entire printing process are gathered here, but if many companies close or leave, printing prices will inevitably rise. The commercial district will collapse, and survival rights will be deprived."

Euljiro Printing Alley. Photo by Jinseon Kim

The printing process is quite complex. It doesn't end with just printing. Besides booklets, post-processing is applied to cosmetic cases and various product boxes. The approximately 5,000 printing shops filling the printing alley consist of companies handling printing, coating, silk screening, binding, die-cutting, and gluing. They operate like gears. If even one process is missing, the system cannot function properly.

He explained, "Printing is a structure that cannot be completed without collaboration. Because the commercial district is concentrated, it can be used quickly and cheaply, but if dispersed, not only will the advantages be lost, but survival rights will also be lost." He added, "I understand the position that the printing alley is outdated and needs development, but isn't Euljiro the central commercial district where printing shops are concentrated? It is regrettable to erase 600 years of history for residential environment improvement."