Sold 200,000 Cups of Coffee... Seodaemun-gu Office Creates Scholarship Fund Worth Hundreds of Millions

Revenue from 'Cafe Pokpo,' Emerging as a Global Healing Spot
100 Million Won Each in First and Second Half...Support for 60 Middle, High School, and University Students

Seongheon Lee, Mayor of Seodaemun District (seventh from the left in the front row), is taking a commemorative photo with scholarship recipients after the 'Cafe Pokpo Happiness Scholarship' award ceremony held on the afternoon of the 4th at Hongje Waterfall Square in Seodaemun. (Photo by Seodaemun District Office)

#A university student who teaches middle school students math online as the ‘Seodaemun Search Teacher’ in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, was recognized for their dedication in preparing lesson plans and teaching materials and received the Cafe Pokpo Scholarship this time.

#University student A, who cares for their mother suffering from cerebrovascular disease, comes from a basic livelihood single-parent family and found it difficult to continue their studies due to high practical training fees related to their major. However, receiving this scholarship has enabled them to continue their education.

The profits from ‘Cafe Pokpo’ (262-24 Yeonhui-ro), a store located in front of the popular tourist spot ‘Seodaemun Hongje Waterfall’ in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, are becoming a new source of hope for many students. Cafe Pokpo is a store operated directly by the district office selling coffee and other beverages.

Seodaemun-gu announced on the 5th that it selected 60 recipients for the ‘Cafe Pokpo Happiness Scholarship’ and provided a total of 100 million KRW in scholarships. The scholarship award ceremony was held on the afternoon of the 4th at Hongje Waterfall Square, the first day of the ‘Seodaemun-gu Children’s Festival.’ On that day, the district distributed 3 million KRW each to 20 university students and 1 million KRW each to 40 middle and high school students from the Youth Hope Dream Fund, which was created from the cafe’s operating profits.

The scholarship recipients were selected through deliberation by the ‘Seodaemun-gu Youth Hope Dream Fund Management Committee’ and included students who have been exemplary through volunteer work, outstanding school and extracurricular activities, or contributions to the local community.

In particular, six university instructors who have been providing online math lecture videos to first-year middle school students since March this year as ‘Seodaemun Search Teachers,’ contributing to reducing educational disparities and private education costs, were also included among the scholarship recipients.

At the award ceremony, Lee Seongheon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “This scholarship is especially meaningful because it is given by all the residents who use the cafe,” and added, “We will continue to return the cafe’s profits to the local community, including providing another 100 million KRW in scholarships this October.”

Yoo Sujin, who works as a ‘Seodaemun Search Teacher,’ said, “I feel proud and fulfilled just by providing online lecture videos to the children, and I am even more grateful to receive the happiness scholarship. I want to share more as much as I have received.”

Byun Yewon said, “While studying social welfare, I was thinking about community-linked activities and served as vice director at last year’s Sinchon Global University Culture Festival. I am happy to receive the scholarship and hope to participate in mentoring activities for young children in the community in the future.”

Cafe Pokpo, located by the stream where visitors can enjoy views of the ‘Seodaemun Hongje Waterfall,’ officially opened on April 1 last year as the ‘Seoul-style Waterfront Sensibility City’s first coffee shop’ and has attracted over 300,000 visitors to date. It has achieved sales of over 200,000 cups of coffee in the past year.

‘Cafe Pokpo’ can be used even without purchasing drinks or by bringing beverages from other stores and is also utilized as a space for various exhibition programs. It creates synergy with nearby attractions such as Seodaemun Hongje Waterfall, Ansan (鞍山) Hwangtotgil (Yellow Soil Road), and Ansan Jarakgil (Ansan Ridge Trail), significantly increasing visits by foreign tourists and emerging as a global landmark in Seoul.

In particular, the district recently relocated the snow removal base and waste collection site around the cafe and secured parking spaces for visitor convenience. When necessary, this space is also used as a large outdoor performance venue and plaza for cultural and artistic events.