Grandmothers from six countries cook their national dishes for the foreigners in Korea.
For more detailed information, please check the text on the attached image.

6개 나라에서 온 외국인 할머니들이 모국의 음식 ‘집밥’이 그리운 외국인들을 위해 요리합니다.
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Juyeonnae Yeontan Gopchang

Seongdong-gu 성동구 / 117 Geumho-ro, Seongdong-gu  /  02-2297-0812

This tiny gopchang joint is another local favorite though it’s more popular as take-out than eat-in. What makes their gopchang so popular is that they manage to take much of the funky smell out. This is not easy to do with pork. The kitchen does it by grilling the pork entrails over coal briquettes. If you really don’t like the smell of pork entrails, the marinated yangneom gui is the better choice over the salted sogeum gui. There’s a salt seasoning for the sogeum gui to balance out the fattiness and a choice of greens and seasoning to wrap up a delicious gopchang ssam. But most folks do seem to prefer the marinated yangneom gui. It’s surprisingly mild and has a certain addictive sweetness. If you order take-out, double-up on the buchu-muchim, seasoned chives banchan. You’ll need it for the ssam wrap: Take a green and place upon it a piece or two of gopchang with buchu-muchim. For a challenge, try the makchang or the spicy dakbal, chicken feet.

Two Thumbs Up

Seongdong-gu 성동구 / 270, Dokseodang-ro, Seongdong-gu / Instagram: @two_thumbsup_ / 02-2291-6677

Opened only last year, this Geumho-dong bakery is the love child of a baker-couple who wanted to serve ppang that would please both their customers and themselves. This small, unpretentious bakery has become wildly popular through its breads both savory and sweet.

The couple continues to hone their craft by traveling through Europe and abroad. They enjoyed a jambon baguette sandwich in Paris so much so that now they’re serving it in Two Thumbs Up. Other popular items include the garlic bread, smothered in garlic sauce, and a demi-baguette filled with sweet adzuki beans and butter. The signature breads might be their mammoth line. It includes the “Bam-moth” filled with chestnut cream made with chestnuts and other nuts, sweet adzuki bean paste and green pea paste. Their “Heuk-kkiri” features black sesame cream. The owners plans to continue fusing Korean ingredients and flavors into their breads. Check their Instagram feed to find out when particular breads are available.

Flower Service

Seongdong-gu 성동구 / 82 Geumho-ro, Seongdong-gu / Instagram: @flower_service / facebook.com/flowerservicemeathouse

flowerservice.modoo.at / 02-2299-0713

Celebrated restaurateur Chang Jinwoo and graduates from his entrepreneurship school imagined a restaurant where people could enjoy their meals in style and comfort. It was part of their dream to turn Geumho-dong into Geumnidan-gil, a play on the popular dining scene at Gyeongnidan-gil. This playful style is evident in their naming a barbecue restaurant “Flower Service.” The name reflects the owners’ wish  to serve the best quality meat with the friendliest service around. The dainty flower-patterned aprons and stools captures this attitude. The two-story restaurant, painted stark white, has large views of the greenery outside. It’s not your usual samgyeopsal joint.

The signature menu is the five-layer pork belly from Jeju. The cuts are pre-grilled over charcoal made from oakwood. The barbecued meat is deep and juicy and a little chewy from the grilled pork rinds. A popular dish is the “Flower Egg Rice” that features both hard-boiled and soft-boiled eggs. Also popular is the ham, cheese and ramyeon-filled “Flower Jjigae” that may be the perfect spicy hotpot to round out the meal.

Burger Fit

Seongdong-gu 성동구 / 17 Geumho-ro, Seongdong-gu / Instagram: @burgerfit_ / 02-2202-5155

Located at an apartment arcade, this burger shop has quickly become the local insider fix for burger and fries. The street-level shop has about eight small tables and is popular for its stylish minimal decor. The menu features twelve burgers, ranging from from the basic cheese burger to more “complicated” fare like the rose cream rucola burger. You’ll need a knife and fork to make your way through the cream sauce and rucola greens but it will definitely be memorable. Another sloppy choice might be the chili burger. If you like your burger simple, try the double patty cheese burger with the chili fries on the side.

Each burger set comes with a small side of coleslaw and chili sauce. The fries are, interestingly, a mix of straight and crinkle fries. The avocado burger with its fan of thin avocado slices topping the patty is a popular Instagram choice, but don’t forget to look past the burgers. In addition to the usual fries (cheese, garlic and chili), onion rings and cheese sticks there are salads, shrimp dishes and even wings available. It’s a smorgasbord of deep-fried heaven.

Written by Cynthia Yoo

Photos by Romain John

Gourmet Tree brings a bit of France to Geumho-dong

Chef Kim Sung-Mo of Gourmet Tree is a man of few words. Fortunately, he can let his food speak for him. It spins tales of far-away places, age-old techniques, and new ideas, all coming together in a cozy neighborhood bistro.

Geumho might seem like an unlikely spot for a culinarily ambitious restaurant to stake a claim.  New high rise apartments and chain developments jostle for space with older buildings and the nearby freeway. Gourmet Tree is tucked in among small businesses aimed at serving local families, like veterinarians, greengrocers, and inexpensive coffee shops. The housing might be newer, but the area itself has a homey charm and seems to harbor few aspirations towards trendiness. It’s a world away from some of the glitzier areas of Seoul, but this neighborhood feel is exactly what Chef Kim was looking for.

“I picked this neighborhood because I wanted to cook for everybody, for just regular neighborhood people,” says Kim, explaining why he chose to open a French-style bistro in the area. “I thought it was really important to make food for ordinary people to enjoy, not just fine dining. It’s why I went with a bistro concept, and why I picked this area.”

Whatever his plans, Chef Kim’s friendly French food fame has spread, especially after being listed in the Michelin guide as one of their “Plate” selections, which serve up high-quality food in less fussy surroundings than their starred restaurants.

“At first only neighborhood people came,” Kim says, “but now folks from Hannam, Gangnam and other places have started visiting, too.”

A forest picnic

Inside, Gourmet Tree feels warm and inviting, with a dark interior filled with natural materials like stone and wood, with deep greens and browns evoking the feel of being in a forest. The forest theme is really brought home by an enormous tree in the center of the restaurant, giving diners the sense of a picnic both outdoors and intimate. Kim carefully planned the interior to evoke very specific sensations and feelings: “I decided to make Gourmet Tree feel natural, like dining among the trees and stones and grass for a relaxed atmosphere.”

The sense of relaxation even seems to steep into the menu, despite the technicality of French cuisine and high standards.  Dishes like octopus pasta and pâté could come across as fussy, but Gourmet Tree makes them seem approachable.  Even dishes like a glorious duck confit served with pumpkin puree, pickled onions and smoked squid ink salt comes across as less a masterpiece of prickly French technique and indulgence than a kind of magical picnic item.

Fitting France to Korea

Chef Kim didn’t start out intending to be a French chef, or even a chef at all.  He explains, “I liked cooking from childhood, but I didn’t think to make a job out of it until I really started cooking during my army service. I started studying food and working in Korea, and though I would do American-style food, but ended up switching to French food.  I spent a year in France and went to Paris and Lyons. In particular, I remember this beautiful street of bistros in Lyon I used to go to and eat at.”

Once back in Korea, he started working on making French food that would suit Korean palates, adjusting the seasoning, how much fat there was, modifying stronger tastes and playing up ones Koreans prefered. The French preferences for fat, butter and salt were toyed with until they met local approval, while still maintaining the kinds of techniques that the cuisine relies on and high quality ingredients to make sure everything shines, from tender octopus in a Spanish-inspired pasta to the restaurant’s famed half duck confit, a masterpiece of crispy fat and juicy meat cooked in oil to maintain tenderness.

“Of course it’s very technique driven, and technique is really at the base of what we do. It’s technique that helped me figure out how to confit half a duck, rather than just the legs, and that’s become one of our specialties. But flavor always comes first. I try to make food I’d like to eat,” explains Chef Kim.

Written by Jennifer Flinn

Photographed by Romain John

The Dongho Bridge and Hangang riverside provide Seoulites a space for rest and relaxation.

A riverside neighborhood comes into its own

Wedged between Dongdaemun-gu and Yongsan-gu and nestled right at the mouth of the Han River’s Jungnancheon tributary, Seongdong-gu is not one of the most recognizable district names in Seoul. To many Seoulites, Oksu Station and Geumho Station are simply mile markers along the morning commute. Though Oksu Station’s raised dome-covered platform, a local icon, is easily visible in passing on the highway, few have taken it upon themselves to explore the neighborhood below. Recently, however, grassroots efforts to rejuvenate what was for decades a sleepy residential corner of Seoul have created a young and laid-back neighborhood feel, a vibe that is drawing more and more visitors through social media buzz.

In between sunrises and sunsets

Local photographers know that the peaks bookending Seongdong-gu, Eungbongsan and Maebongsan, offer spectacular sunrises and sunsets with clear views of the Hangang River and Seoul skyline. For early birds, making the pre-dawn trip to Maebongsan is well worth the effort. The slopes of Seongdong-gu’s mountains lead to Hangang Park and Dalmaji-bong Park, with their outdoor activities galore, and the neighborhoods of Oksu-dong and Geumho-dong, with their independent cafés, bottle shops, eateries and fine dining.

Seeming custom-made with date courses specifically in mind, the area is an ideal place to spend some time in the sun with friends along the Hangang River and retreat to a nearby pub for evening drinks. Choose a sport — basketball, badminton, bike riding — or non-sport — kite flying, sunbathing — at Hangang Park or Dalmaji-bong Park. You can even bask in the serenity of traditional Korean architecture at Mitasa Temple, located immediately outside of Oksu Station.

The Hangang has a basketball court and other sports facilities.

Darak Oksu

Local city governments have been launching community revitalization plans to make more efficient use of outdated city infrastructure in eco-friendly ways. One such project, a collaboration of Seoul and Seongdong-gu, has come to fruition under Line 3’s Oksu Station. Opening just this past April, Darak Oksu, as it is called, is reminiscent of a Hobbit hole. A “free garden” of vegetation covers an earthen mound housing a children’s book café and open facility for community events. At the time of writing this article, the seedlings were still aspiring to become full, lush foliage, but they are growing with the help of a mirror-like awning designed to harvest sunlight from dim conditions. With the coming summer weather, the landscaping will soon start to take hold, turning into a pleasant urban garden.

Considering its close proximity with Hangang Park, Darak Oksu serves as a pleasant centerpiece for a hub of leisure activities. When asked for food recommendations, locals point to a modest street outside of Exit 5. It starts with a popular street food vender serving a constant stream of customers and continues down past the elementary school. A bustling Italian-style pizzeria, a wine bar, barbecue joints, chicken and beer, and ddeokbokki. A diverse crowd sits in Bean Plateau (T. 02-2299-5758), many resting from a day spent at the park. The newly opened downstairs features antique upholstered furniture, traditional Western deep green paneling, and a collection of knickknacks and photos that are simultaneously impressive and comforting.

Bean Plateau owner Bhyun Mi-Sook is satisfied with the recent transformation. A resident herself, she predicts the neighborhood will continue to be charming and peaceful, its narrow streets and overpass preventing greater traffic volume or excessive development. The changes that have taken place, she says, were requested by residents themselves. “Until about two years ago, business operations closed early and the streets were dark. Businesses were asked to stay open later to keep the streets bright.” This made it easier to walk about at night, drawing the community out to socialize into the late evenings. And so began a virtuous cycle of community-building through local business.

The area around Singeumho Station boasts three independent bookstores, including the charming Library of Proust.

Slow Steps is a bakery with a free spirit.

A new generation of entrepreneurs

Chang Jinwoo, a chef and one of the architects of Itaewon’s hip Gyeongnidan-gil Street’s amazing success, has set his eyes on Geumho-dong’s so-called “Geumnidan-gil,” a budding area of trendy restaurants, cafés and bars. Chang has already opened three restaurants in Geumho-dong, and lesser known establishments nearby have appreciated a boost from Chang’s fame by geographic association.

Geumnidan-gil stretches from Singeumho Station Exit 3 down to Geumnam Market, and all along the way bold new ideas snuggle in right alongside traditional down-home Korean neighborhood fixtures: a sun-bleached barber shop, a newly opened pastel florist with a sign advertising floral arrangement and baking classes, whole fried chicken behind a glass display, a boldly painted Vietnamese noodle restaurant, elementary school students focused on their water colors in the window of an airy art hagwon, fine Italian dining and wine, a bustling steamed bun corner vendor.

Favorable real estate conditions have made the Geumho-dong and Oksu-dong area highly sought-after by twenty- and thirty-somethings, mostly newlyweds and growing families. This influx yielded a considerable demand for comfortable places to relax and eat. Young local entrepreneurs took it upon themselves to create the kinds of spaces and services they wanted to see emerge in their own community.

In Geumnam Market, an entrepreneurial program sponsored by the city government, provided 28-year-old Jeff Cho with training and a grant to start his own shop, Mazinga Dark (T. 070-4046-9200). This pub in the center of the market has nearby merchants hooked on the baked chicken.

Up the street, Bottle Sauna (T. 02-2232-8689) imports over 60 varieties of beer selected by its owner, Gimm Gunn, who opened the bottle shop in May 2017. Curiosity has gotten the best of the residents. Folks initially shy away from the unfamiliar, but Gimm offers friendly suggestions to help beginners choose. “Business started slow,” he explains, “Many came by just to take a peek. They have since become regulars and good friends of the store.” In keeping with the neighborhood ambiance, Gimm encourages a slower beer culture, where the goal is to savor, not to forget.

In April, Ella Hyunjin Kim opened Slow Steps (T. 010-2715-4651), a bright and welcoming bakery next to Geumho Elementary School, to remind us to feel happiness and calm in daily moments. Like others moving to Geumho in recent years, she arrived in Geumho-dong as a newlywed. “I chose Geumho-dong based almost entirely on the location; I was looking for somewhere easy to commute from. I didn’t really consider the neighborhood feel. After warming up and exploring a little, I was pleasantly surprised.” She hopes that her shop reinforces the existing relaxed vibes. Even the menu is a free spirit — a base of permanent favorites and a peripheral rotation of items reflecting the mood of the day.

A few steps away, beautiful flower arrangements have adorned the window display of City Bloom (T. 02-2233-1820) since August 2017. “Older locals told me this street would be too slow for business. But actually, customers are on the rise and there are regulars now,” says Jooyeong Son. “There are plenty of things nearby to attract young people, like the bakery and all of the bookstores around.”

Independent bookstores are a local pastime on Geumnidan-gil. A black cat basks in the sun in the window of The Library of Proust (T. 010-8988-2682), a small store overflowing with used books and books from smaller publishers. Seosilli (T. 010-4597-1558) reflects the same love for literature, with volumes filling the shelving that covers the shop floor to ceiling. And guests of all ages come to Kamome Picture Books (T. 010-6510-5065), its bright blue awning featuring its namesake seagull calling particularly young readers to flip through its limitless collection of colorful illustrated books.

More than just vendors, the aforementioned shops are members and hosts of a new and growing community. Many offer regular or one-day classes, such as the bakery and florist, or weekly gatherings, like Kamome Picture Books. Each one of them a piece of Geumho-dong’s genuine character.

Enjoy a craft beer with views at Chuck’s Tap House.

Coffee Theo serves a proper cup of coffee near the Geumnam Market.

Take your time

Sunup to sundown, there is plenty for everyone to do and see in Geumho-dong and Oksu-dong. Make a day of it and allow time for unplanned tangents and lengthy breaks. Use the time to unwind, experience the sights and flavors, tour the winding roads, discover a new book and chat with the store owners. But be sure to check the opening hours before heading out — after all, it is still a sleepy neighborhood.

Lucia not only sells flower arrangements, but also hosts one-day classes.

Written by Tessa Franklin

Photographed by Dylan Goldby

It took some sacrifices, but popular illustrator and author Seungyoun Kim made it all come together

From the first glance, Seungyoun Kim’s  artwork strikes you with familiarity. It’s not just that she is the hand behind package illustrations for brands such as The Face Shop, CJ Minewater water bottles and Primera. It’s that her art reminds you of your own childhood. Not a children’s book illustrator and not a commercial artist, Kim pens and draws picture books out of her graphic studio, Textcontext, in Mangwon-dong where she starts her day with coffee and scrolling through the internet. Among vintage china and color pencils, Kim talks to SEOUL Magazine about being one of the first independent publishers in Korea, her happiest moments as an author and her hobby of attending political protests.

Writing over drawing

Kim can’t say she had a particular attraction to art when she was young. In second grade, she had an “art tutor” for two months. “My mom had given an art student in my neighborhood a used refrigerator, and in exchange, I’d go to his studio for assignments like drawing Mickey Mouse,” she says with a laugh. “If given the choice between art contests or writing competitions, I’d enter a writing competitions.”

Her books started with the desire to tell a story. “When I was younger, there were no books for children,” she says. “I would read adult books and since I couldn’t understand everything, I’d skip through for the racy moments or look at the pictures. I later found there was a major discrepancy between what I thought the book was about and what it was really about. Maybe this process of making up stories ultimately helped me become an author.”

First forays into art

Despite her initial lack of interest in the arts, Kim began to pursue art academically during her junior year of high school. “When I began looking into colleges, I realized there few options to pursue writing and few career options,” she explains. Around that time, she noticed that some of her classmates were exempt from the afterschool study sessions: “They told me that they were going to art academy and that allowed them to skip those sessions.” Kim explains that she hated school, so she preferred those art classes. She moved forward with art in spite of feeling behind and disliking the rigor of the classes themselves. Although she was accepted to Hongik University, one of Korea’s top art schools, she insists she “wasn’t good at drawing.”

No crew needed

“Even after I got into college, I wondered if I made the right decision,” Kim says. She majored in design because at the time, people didn’t have a clear idea of what design was. She says, “We thought design meant illustrations, film, fashion, typography…”

She believed that design would still allow her to express herself and help her discover her true calling. “While I was a student, I did things like attend meetings for making films and making comics, and I interned at Cheil to make a commercial. I never thought I would draw,” Kim says. “While graduating, I came to the conclusion I was interested in storytelling and narratives. Later, I realized making picture books would allow me to do that alone — without, say, a film crew.”

Not destined to design

After graduating in 2007, Kim got a job at Ahn Graphics where she stayed for about a year and a half. “I wasn’t very good at design,” Kim chuckles. “Design requires you to be extremely meticulous. I didn’t want to do that — I wanted to make new content.” Meanwhile, Kim began to look into picture books and seek inspiration. She began to buy foreign picture books — there weren’t too many Korean titles back then — and fell in love with Guillermo del Toro’s films, especially “Pan’s Labyrinth.” “Previously, I had thought of picture books as simply cute and childlike but I began to rethink their potential. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ really touched me and made me re-evaluate what kind of content I wanted to put in my books.”

First generation independent publishing

Kim freelanced for a year or so, debating whether or not she should go back into graphic design. Finding time to work on her personal projects was a challenge. “Between living life and freelancing, I kept putting off finishing my book.” A friend of hers told her about a government grant provided at the time, one that helped young people pursue their dreams abroad. Her idea to start an independent publisher was approved and she was able to work on her book for a few months. “There were a few indie musicians, but the concept of independent publishing really didn’t exist here,” she explains. “My idea was to publish a book at my own studio and sell rights to the book at the Frankfurt Book Fair. I was really a first-generation indie publisher here.”

‘Fox Hat’

Kim says her first book, “Fox Hat,” published in 2009, was about mother and daughter relationships. She was able to take the book with her, not only to Frankfurt, but across Europe. “The response to my book at fairs abroad was overwhelmingly positive,” Kim says, her excitement still evident. “If I think about it now, it was just beginner’s luck but I began to think, ‘Oh, this is easy!’”

Upon returning to Korea, news of her success spread and even her promotional posters for the book were sought after by Gangnam moms interested in interior design. Although it wasn’t sold at major bookstores and couldn’t be easily found online, “Fox Hat” sold over a thousand copies.

Happy moments

“While I was writing ‘Fox Hat,’ I had a small studio in Donggyo-dong and when I got an order to a nearby residence, I was so excited that I would deliver the book myself,” says Kim. She counts this period in her career as her happiest. “After everyone telling me I couldn’t make it, I finally felt like I had!”

During the next ten years, Kim has continued to work on picture books, producing titles like “Yarn Yarn” in 2011 and “The Opening” in 2016. If she had to pick, “The Opening” would be her personal favorite: “If ‘Fox Hat’ carries the sentiments of my mother, ‘The Opening’ carries the sentiments of my father who passed away when I was younger. Since I don’t have too many memories of him, I really wanted to include the ones I had. In the end, those memories didn’t make it into the book and somehow it was about his memory — not his presence.”

Protests and sacrifices

Kim says she is inspired by her personal life as well as by people and politics: “I went to the Park Geun-hye protests more than ten times,” she says. “It’s not just my political preference but also something about seeing the spirit of the people. After feeling like I dislike Seoulites, I’ll feel there’s something that connect us at a protest.”

To keep ideas fresh, Kim says you need constant self-analysis. “If you’re happy for too long or too busy for too long, you lose yourself. Every few years, you need to reevaluate what you do.”

She says that her projects can pile up and the deadlines can be stressful. “I found that for me, I was doing too many things I didn’t want to do in order to pursue what I wanted to do. I have made sacrifices like not having a car, not buying a house and putting off having a baby.”

Looking forward

Kim hopes that even those who cannot read Korean will be touched by the artwork in her books. “The text really only takes five minutes to read, but if the reader can feel something in the images, I like that too,” she says.

Down the line, Kim says she would like still like to make films one day and create a series of picture books. She has ambitions but seems content where she is. “These days, I think about how all the small details fell into place. I have the dog I always wanted, I have the cat I always wanted, I share a studio with my husband.” She smiles. “I don’t go to church but I think about how the Israelites wandered through the desert for forty years. I think if I got everything in one stroke, I never would have realized how precious all the small things are.”

Written by Hahna Yoon

Photographed by Robert Koehler

In ‘Seoul’s Historic Walks in Sketches,’ illustrator Janghee Lee explores the city’s rich but unknown past

“When I go overseas, all the buildings can look similar no matter how carefully I look at them. Visitors here can feel the same way. You should look at these buildings again after learning the stories they contain.”

In his new book “Seoul’s Historic Walks in Sketches,” published in Korea in early June by Seoul Selection, illustrator Janghee Lee shares some of those stories, the tales hidden deep inside Seoul’s cityscape. A columnist and contributor for several local newspapers and magazines, Lee has wandered the city’s maze of streets and alleyways, capturing in his sketchpad the stories and scenes discovered within. By collecting decades of sketches and commentary, his book represents, in a way, a life’s work. He says, “It seems I’ve been writing this since the time I was born.”

Drawing, writing and learning

“Seoul’s Historic Walks in Sketches” is, simply put, an illustrated depiction of Seoul and its past, with the focus on the capital’s historic center, the old town inside the venerable city walls. Lee’s pencil brings to life everything from Seoul’s palaces and fortresses to modern skyscrapers of glass and steel built on historic sites. Accompanying Lee’s illustrations are insightful, often witty comments on history, commentary that goes a long way to presenting readers with a view of the unknown city, a city almost exotic in its mystery.

Lee didn’t start off wanting to unearth Seoul’s hidden history. Rather, his historical research was an offshoot of his artistic pursuits. “As I was sketching the city, I became curious about many things,” he says. “How did this building come about? What was it used for? Who passed through here? As I grew curious, I began to search more, to find more books, and when I’d read those books, I’d find the buildings next door had their stories, too, so I’d end up drawing that building, and the building next to that one, and so on.”

The book was Lee’s means to learn more. “I’ve wandered around the city a lot, and I thought I knew much about it relative to other people. But the more I saw, the more I realized I didn’t know,” he says. “So I wrote this book because I wanted to learn more about Seoul.”

Raising awareness, deepening appreciation

In his work, including “Seoul’s Historic Walks in Sketches,” Lee also sets out to raise awareness of Seoul’s remaining historical sites and the need to preserve them.

This is a need that that has not been fully appreciated. He says, “One of Seoul’s biggest problems is that it prioritized development over preservation, especially after the Korean War.” In the chaos of Korea’s liberation from colonial rule and the Korean War, the authorities failed to protect many historically and culturally important buildings from the wrecking ball. Property owners, afraid they might lose rights over their property, often knocked down their own buildings before the government could list them. Though the government has since listed many old buildings, protecting them from destruction, many remain threatened. Lee says, “It seems owners still need a better appreciation for historical preservation.”

Lee says government support for preservation efforts are important, explaining that one of the reasons Hanok homes are disappearing is the high cost of their upkeep and repair. Even more important, however, is educating the public. “A lot of people need to know these places exist,” he says, noting the role writers and artists such as himself are playing. Nothing makes a building safer than public interest. “When people know those places exist, it’s difficult to knock them down.”

Written and photographed by Robert Koehler

LP collecting has come back into fashion, helped along by online communities.

Kim Woo-chan has a collection of 10,000 LP vinyl records he has been collecting since his teenage years. The 56-year-old marketer wanted to share the analog experience of listening to old Western pop songs on a turntable. He started having friends over to listen to vinyl recordings, and then organized gatherings with others of his age through the Seoul government-run 50 Plus Foundation that assists 50-something Seoul residents in employment and life.

“I also wanted to share interesting episodes and stories related to each song. That’s how the ‘Stories in Pop Songs’ class started,” said Kim. “And around that time, Shareus contacted me.”

Shareus is a young Seoul-based start-up launched last year, running the online skill-sharing platform See:Near that allows people like Kim to sign up to share their skills and knowledge with anyone whose interests match. The service is one of the emerging talent-sharing online platforms in Korea connecting people to teach and learn.

A new market in the sharing economy has emerged. What’s next for the sharing economy, which evolved from accommodation and ride sharing to co-working and co-housing space, is skill-sharing.

Key sectors in the sharing economy have grown to rival traditional counterparts. The number of Airbnb guests totaled 155 million in 2014 with the average number guests totalling 425,000 per night. It’s nearly 22 percent more than the number of guests staying at Hilton Worldwide hotel chains annually, according to the 2015 report on the growth of sharing economy by the consulting group PwC. The report also estimates that some major sharing sectors such as travel, car sharing, finance, staffing, and music and video streaming, would grow in revenue from $15 billion in 2013 to $335 billion by 2025.

An emerging trend in sharing economy

The birth of skill-sharing platforms is a testament to the flourishing sharing economy. In 2016, the world saw the emergence of knowledge and talent sharing platforms such as Skillshare. The US-based online learning platform offers more than 20,000 online classes ranging from cooking to programming available at $12 a month. It lets anyone with skills host classes and invite anyone who is interested in learning them. The start-up, founded in 2010, raised $12 million in venture capital in 2016.

Frip is the frontrunner in the sector in Korea. Launched in 2013, the company connects some 3,000 tutors, called hosts within the service, with 6,900 participants a month in a variety of outdoor and indoor activities. The service started attracting sports enthusiasts with class offerings from hiking, kayaking and indoor climbing to Zumba dancing. It recently expanded to include non-sports classes such as make-up lessons, writing sessions and financial investment courses. It boasts some 400,000 registered members as of May, a figure that surged by 231 percent since the second quarter of last year, according to the company.

Soomgo, founded in 2015, seeks to “revolutionize” service industries by helping people find “hidden talent” in areas where they need experts’ help. It matches people with the need to learn subjects such as English, Chinese, mathematics or music composition with tutors in their talent pool. For a customized match, the service asks each user detailed questions before pairing them with just the right tutor. For example, an English-language learner will be asked about their current English level, which components of the language they need to focus on, and their purpose for learning specific aspects of the language.

Another newbie, Taling, launched in February 2016, offers some 4,700 classes in more than 150 categories, including Photoshop editing, crash courses in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, Chinese language, drawing, calligraphy and piano lessons. Under the slogan of “connecting every talent in the world,” it has seen a big increase in the number of users, climbing to 54,000 users in April from 6,000 a year earlier.

Airbnb has been a leader in the sharing economy, allowing owners of properties such as the Youngrakjae in Seochon to rent to guests.

Make your life more fun

Frip’s founder Lim Su-yeol’s search for fun in life became a basis for what Frip is now today.

Lim thought Korean lives lacked fun and ways to relieve stress. Finding that a majority of Koreans spent their spare time drinking or playing computer games, he thought they should be offered more options for hobbies. As part of the personal quest to find a solution, he recruited people who would join him on a snorkeling trip to the east coast. “If people could enjoy their spare time, wouldn’t it upgrade their quality of life as well?” Lim said in a recent interview with Venture Square.

Taling started with a similar idea by its CEO. The founder wanted to do something productive rather than idling on a couch staring at a smartphone screen. Then a student at Korea University, he uploaded posts telling people to join him in his fitness and workout sessions.

Such initiatives fall in line with how the US-based online learning platform Skillshare was born. Its CEO and co-founder Michael Karnjanaprakorn, who was also the world champion poker player, thought he could teach his poker skills to others before he turned it into a business.

While classes at Skillshare are available online, Korean skill-sharing platforms encourage face-to-face interaction with most classes taking place offline. Such interaction responds to the collectivity and emphasis on community that run deep in the Korean culture. Efforts are still made to keep people engaged with their neighbors and friends on a community level.

The Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation and the Seoul-based Hope Institute have launched a program to breathe a sharing spirit into apartment complexes where life becomes increasingly isolating with lack of human interaction.

The initiative called “Creating a Happy Apartment Community” encourages residents to share their skills with neighbors. Several apartment blocks in Seoul are participating in the initiative, inviting residents to meet their neighbors and find out their skills and interests. Classes created include how to make a good gimbap, a Korean rice roll with veggies how to make handmade organic cosmetics and how to play traditional Korean games.

Finding life opportunities

Some people discover life opportunities while unlocking their hidden talents, while others find meaningful ways to spend their retirement years.

Moon Ye-ram has been teaching makeup skills at Taling since February of last year.

“I was trying several things at the time. My major was acting so I was preparing for auditions,” said Moon. “Then I thought I could start doing something new using what I have always been good at.”

She has been skilled at applying makeup since middle school, but she never thought about making it more than a hobby. She didn’t have any credentials or an established career that would prove her makeup skills. Then her friend tagged her name in a Facebook post recruiting people with makeup skills. That’s how she began a new career as a makeup specialist. While teaching people via the skill-sharing service, she studied for a certificate in makeup to be officially licensed as a makeup artist.

“Now teaching at Taling takes 80 percent of my work time,” said Moon. She offers make-up lessons to people varied in age and professions. Her students are mostly young office workers in their late 20s and early 30s, but she also met unique students, like a teenage daughter and her mother.

Teaching opportunities come as a good option for retirees to prepare for their life after retirement.

Kim Woo-chan has met seniors in his music class who are concerned with their life ahead. “I met a gentleman who retired as the branch manager of a bank. Retirees are going through the moment of looking back their career and feeling uncertain how to respond to their present situation,” said Kim.

“I would like to say sharing your expertise built during your professional career or any skills developed as a hobby can be a nice way to prepare for your life after retirement.”

Local residents of an apartment complex in Geumcheon-gu get together to raise cabbage on the roof.
They will later turn the cabbage into kimchi, which they will distribute to those in need.

Accessible lifelong learning

Korea abounds with private academies, called hagwon, which play an indispensable part in the lives of people coping with the competitive education system. People devote so much energy and time at hagwon during school years that the very thought of them can become a psychological burden.

Lifelong learning is a necessity, though. Experts say continuing education enriches life by helping a learner cope with the fast-changing world, bringing higher paychecks and broadening job opportunities. Most of working professionals, however, are hesitant to devote time from their busy schedules to learning something new.

“I think we are in a transitional period between traditional school education and the need to learn new skills for a professional career in this fast-changing world,” said Lee Byung-hoon, CEO of Shareus. “That’s why people keep looking for ways to learn.”

The online learning platforms emerged when people begin to embrace all forms of learning. The businesses have found a niche in the Korean education sector as a substitution for hagwon. Within a short period of time, the skill-sharing services have been able to offer an effortless way to continue learning without burdening already busy lives.

Choi A-reum, a 26-year-old office worker, wanted to learn how to invest. But she didn’t know how to invest her monthly paycheck other than putting it in a savings account with a low-interest rate.

She said, “I always thought of the stock market as a gamble. But I decided to give it a try.”

She looked for stock investment classes at hagwon, but couldn’t find one that could accommodate her busy work life. She said, “It was hard to find a class available during weekday evenings and I didn’t want to travel far for class after work or attend on weekends when I need to rest.”

Her colleagues recommended she take a stock investment beginner’s course at Taling. The class, conducted by a young financial expert at a rented study space in the Gangnam area, suited her needs in every way.

“It’s close to where I work. The class was so fun with the tutor’s easy explanation,” she said. “Now I understand what business newspapers are saying.”

Starting with a small sum of KRW 50,000, she recently made an investment of KRW 500,000 in the stock market.

CEO Lee of Shareus said participants could also get life lessons from his senior tutors.

“I would like to offer seniors’ wisdom to people,” said Lee.

Lee recruits tutors over 50 years old with rich life experiences and expertise. Shareus offers unique courses such as personality tests, Chinese Astrology and calligraphy. Lee believes that retirees are equipped with not only expertise in their fields, but also with insights into life.

The idea took off from Lee’s personal concerns with career and life. Having worked at an IT company for 17 years, Lee felt anxious about having to find a way to take his career to the next level. He felt talking to someone older than him helped reduce the anxiety he felt towards the future.

“What they have is life experience. We have a tutor who teaches calligraphy. She studied painting in college, then immigrated to Argentina to do a fashion business and returned to Korea later in life. She now teaches calligraphy with us. Her calligraphy lessons offer more than just ways to do stylistic writing,” he said.

Some senior tutors take more effort in guiding their students in their search for an answer to their life. A tutor who runs a personality test helped one of her participants resolve an issue with his social skills.

“She devoted an hour to consulting her student even after the class,” said Lee. “Usually young people are reluctant to talk to seniors because of a generation gap. But sometimes, the life we experience is not so much different.”

Lee said he would continue to keep the classes in small numbers so that tutors and students can create valuable exchanges. Lifelong learning may continue as long as we are engaged with those around us.

Written by Lee Woo-young

On December 18, 2017, the world lost Kim Jonghyun, the main vocal of K-pop group Shinee, singer, songwriter, producer and artist.

Devastated, distraught and searching for comfort, fans began immediately paying tribute to the man, bringing flowers, gifts and endless notes to SMTown at Coex. The makeshift memorial was soon overflowing, post-its wallpapering the outside of the building, and a garden blooming on the concrete in memory of a man who had meant so much to so many.

However, after the memorial was repeatedly vandalized and disturbed by pedestrians and the homeless in search of food, fans set up boxes to discourage rifling through the gifts left. The memorial was quickly outgrowing the space co-opted outside, and SM Entertainment soon after announced plans for an official memorial inside the SMTown Coex Artium.

While SM may have provided the space and the large portraits, excerpts from his book, the clear album cases, and even the famous kazoo and handbells from his concerts, it was Jonghyun and Shinee’s fans who truly made the memorial.
Much like the original outside, the memorial is peppered with colorful post-it notes and letters. It’s an endless kaleidoscope sea of thank yous and personal tributes. The walls are awash with the notes from fans, and every day more are added to what little space remains on the walls.

“I pretty much go once a week and write a sticky note,” says Carolyn, an American Shawol (the name for Shinee’s fans) who has been living in Seoul coming up on four years.

“I think it’s helpful to have a place to leave notes like this, but I personally don’t feel like it ended anything for me,” explains Nicky, likewise a long-term expat Shawol in Seoul. “I think about him every day.”

However both girls agree that the space is well done, SM handled it well, and it serves an important purpose for fans who want to visit. The current memorial is only temporary, with concerns from some fans that a permanent memorial won’t be made available. While there are rumors, nothing official has been stated one way or the other by SM.

“Since his grave is a private space it would be nice to have somewhere fans can go when we just miss him and want the appropriate place to grieve and not be judged,” Carolyn explains. “There are tons of people who aren’t [in Korea] who love him, so it would be nice to not put a time limit on when people can visit.”

The centerpiece of the memorial is relatively small in size, but its importance cannot be overstated. Encased in glass is a first place “Music Bank” trophy, awarded to “Shinin’,” a title track on the last album Jonghyun recorded.
Released at the end of January, Jonghyun’s “Poet | Artist” has been celebrated by fans and the media at large for its musicality, artistry and pep that was so uniquely him. There was little doubt it would hit number one on the charts, but his posthumous wins on music shows present a bittersweet validation for fans. He had asked to be told one thing, and now everyone was doing exactly that.

You did well.

Jonghyun’s memorial is open from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. on the sixth floor of the SMTown Coex Artium until April 30.

More Info.

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to seek help and reach out at www.lifeline.or.kr or call 1577-0199.

Written by Kristina Manente

“You are not allowed to bring your bag into the library, you can only have your laptop and writing implement with you,” says the receptionist at CGV Cine Library, Korea’s first film library. “Please leave your identification with us, and we will offer you a locker where you can keep your belongings.”
At first, this writer is put out. Is it really worth the extra trouble to visit this library? However, as soon as I step into the library, I have no other choice, or else to change my mind entirely.
On both sides of the rectangular space — once used as a film-screening theater — are bookshelves densely filled from top to bottom. Rows of seats and tables occupy the middle, and soft interior lighting completes the mood of the library. CGV Cine Library opened in Myeong-dong in 2015. Its mission is to be an exceptional cultural venue of inspiration, relaxation, and communication.
“Through the agency of books, CGV Cine Library intends to be a comfortable space for those who love film, art, music, and photography,” says Hyu-ri Kim, a member of the cinema team at CGV Arthouse.

10,600 volumes and more

The library houses about 10,600 exquisitely selected books and occasionally holds various talks by film professionals. It is the books that are the real appeal for those engaging in creative occupations as well as movie enthusiasts. The library’s collection includes books not just about films, but also about literature and art, which have inspired film in many ways. World literature, books adopted from movies and vice versa, and graphic novels account for 5,565 items of the collection. Hundreds of scenarios, productions designs and storybooks are also available, presenting a more vivid illustration of the film-making process. Art books, accounting for as many as 1,400 of the collection, are also an integral part of the library.
There are featured exhibitions as well. The “Books of My Life” section displays a collection of books selected by high-profile Koreans, including popular actors and actresses, directors and critics. You can find your favorite actor’s recommendations, as well as enjoy discovering who recommended the books you love.

In another section, there are collections of books chosen by three well-known, international award-winning directors. They are Lee Chang-dong, the director of “Peppermint Candy”; Park Chan-wook, the director of “The Handmaiden”; and Kim Jee-woon, the director of “The Good, the Bad, the Weird.” This section provides a rare glimpse into the famous film directors’ works through the scores of books selected by them.
“Library Talk,” one of the featured programs at the library, enables participants to have conversations with directors, actors and film critics after enjoying a film at the theater. Regarding such diverse features of the cine library, Kim says, “CGV Cine Library aspires to be a valuable space enriching the lives of the visitors.”
The library is open Tuesday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., but opening hours vary in accordance with occasional changes. Looking up the information online beforehand is highly recommended. The entrance fee requires a little attention. Movie ticket holders of CGV Myeongdong Station Cine Library or CGV Myeongdong receive complimentary admission within 15 days before or after the screening date of the ticket. CJ (CJ One) members receive a 1,000-point deduction. And CGV VIP members and CGV Arthouse Club members receive four complimentary visits a month.
Whether you are a movie buff, a bookworm or a big fan of a film master, you will find this library dedicated to film truly inspiring. You may feel a connection with others by seeing the interconnectedness among different fields of art. Or perhaps, new ideas will spring up from this treasure trove of knowledge. This writer now fully understands why the extra care is taken to protect the precious collections of this library.

More Info.

CGV Cine Library
10th, 11th Floor, 123, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu | 1544-1122 | www.cgv.co.kr

Written by Sang-ah Lee
Photographed by Robert Koehler