Seodaemun-gu, 100 Million Scholarship Fund Raised from 'Cafe Waterfall' by Hongjecheon River

Selection of 60 Middle, High School, and University Students
1 Billion Won Scholarship Support in the Second Half of the Year

Panoramic view of the 'Cafe (CAFE) Waterfall' in Seodaemun-gu. (Provided by Seodaemun-gu)

Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced on the 1st that it will donate 100 million KRW in scholarship funds from the profits of the store 'Cafe (CAFE) Pokpo' located in front of the tourist attraction 'Seodaemun Hongje Waterfall.' Cafe Pokpo is a Seodaemun-gu directly managed store that sells beverages such as coffee.

The district will select 60 recipients for the 'Seodaemun-gu Cafe Pokpo Happiness Scholarship' from the 'Youth Hope Dream Fund' created with the cafe's profits, providing 3 million KRW each to 20 university students and 1 million KRW each to 40 middle and high school students. The scholarship recipients include students who have contributed to the local community through volunteer work and exemplary activities inside and outside school, as well as students from financially disadvantaged families.

Cafe Pokpo, where visitors can enjoy the view of Hongje Waterfall, officially opened on April 1 last year as the 'Seoul-style Waterfront Sensibility City’s first coffee shop' and has gained popularity with over 300,000 cumulative visitors.

At Cafe Pokpo, visitors can enter without purchasing drinks or bring beverages from other stores, and the interior hall is also used as an exhibition space for artworks. Over time, the number of foreign visitors has significantly increased, making it a global attraction not only in Seodaemun-gu but also in Seoul. Around Cafe Pokpo, there are healing spots such as Hongje Waterfall, Ansan (鞍山) Hwangtotgil, and Ansan Jarakgil.

With both local residents and tourists visiting, Cafe Pokpo's sales have recently exceeded 900 million KRW in the past year. The district plans to provide scholarship funds worth 100 million KRW again in the second half of this year from the cafe's profits.

Mayor Lee Seongheon said, "We expect that this scholarship donation will give visitors to the cafe a sense of pride in participating in a meaningful cause and instill a sense of pride in the local community among the scholarship recipients." The scholarship award ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on the 4th, the first day of the 'Seodaemun-gu Children's Festival,' on the outdoor stage in front of Cafe Pokpo.