The entrance of Kyungdong Market

Kyungdong Market near Jegi-dong Station, a place most students often pass by without much thought, is now under a dynamic transformation. As the largest traditional market in Seoul dealing in medicinal herbs and various agricultural and marine products, it has long been crowded with the elderly, earning the nickname Hongdae for seniors. However, in recent years, this old traditional market has been transforming into a hip space by embracing the retro trend. Despite the psychological distance most students may feel, physically it is only a 15-minute bus ride from Kyung Hee University Seoul Campus. It is time to pay attention to Kyungdong Market as an extended local commercial district for the campus.

The Aesthetics of the Old: Authenticity, Not Imitation

Two contrasting signboards standing out amidst the olds(Starbucks & Geumseong Jeonpasa)

In the middle of a market bustling with old stores, we can see a Starbucks sign that seemingly does not fit the atmosphere of a traditional market. This is Starbucks Kyungdong 1960, remodeled while preserving the original frame of the old Kyungdong Theater located within the main building of Kyungdong Market in the 1960s. 

Starbucks Kyungdong 1960

What differentiates this place from other popular places in Seoul is its authenticity. Unlike the artificially created vintage concepts in other places, the weight of over 60 years of history emanating from the old ceiling and raw concrete walls dominates the space here. This raw charm delivers a strong visual impact and is enough to attract young people tired of overly manufactured aesthetics. Because the theater’s original frame was preserved, the seating inside the store is arranged in tiers, while a modern large-scale artwork displayed at the top highlights the harmony between vintage and contemporary elements.

A Creative Laboratory for University Students: Geumseong Jeonpasa Campus Art Center

​The way from Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 to Geumseong Jeonpasa 

Walking out of the iron gate of Starbucks Kyungdong 1960, Geumseong Jeonpasa Campus Art Center catches the eye. Although it bears the signboard of an electronics shop exuding retro sensibility, the interior is a high-tech AI laboratory filled with the imagination of university students. Students from various universities―including Konkuk University, Hongik University, Ewha Womans University, and so on―have participated in a relay format to project their artistic visions onto LG electronic's products.

The exhibition, Objects with Nunchi, runs at Geumseong Jeonpasa until the end of March

Photo: VISITKOREA(Korean.visitkorea.or.kr)

At the time of writing, an exhibition named "Objects with Nunchi" was being held. Twenty-nine students from the Dept. of Design at the Korea National University of Arts participated to interpret AI's capacity for empathy through Nunchi, the intuitive art of gauging the atmosphere and reading others’ unspoken needs. This exhibition can be seen at Geumseong Jeonpasa in the main building of Kyungdong Market until the end of March. The experience of encountering the most futuristic AI technology implemented by university students in the middle of an old traditional market was very unique. In this way, Kyungdong Market is evolving beyond a place simply for buying and selling goods into a venue for mutual growth where corporate technology meets student creativity to experiment with and experience new culture.

A Space for Young People within a Traditional Market: Cheongnyeon Mall

Cheongnyeon Mall

The changes in Kyungdong Market do not end here. This is the story of Cheongnyeon Mall, which has a completely different charm from the noisy landscape of the first floor. Using the Korean word Cheongnyeon, meaning youth, this space is a hybrid food culture venue that preserves the vitality of the traditional market while embracing a youthful vibe. The mall is a startup space for young entrepreneurs under the age of 39, featuring clean interiors and trendy sensibilities that young people would like.

Currently, the mall houses eight general restaurants, six dessert and bakery shops, and six workshops and one-day classes. The meal for sale at Cheongnyeon Recipe―a plate-filling pork cutlet served with what appeared to be at least three scoops of rice― cost just 9,000 won. It was a meal where that showed both the sophisticated sense of the young chefs and the generous heart of the traditional market. In addition to this, the place is full of menus reflecting the ideas and efforts of young people, such as thoughtfully prepared rice bowls and handmade desserts.

Pork cutlet for sale at Cheongnyeon Mall

Kyungdong Market holds the possibility of becoming an extended campus for university students in the Dongdaemun-gu area. Going beyond a market, it can serve as a cultural intersection where the youthful energy of students and the wisdom of merchants convergy. If you need a refresher from the repetitive daily life of the Hoegi university district, why not take a walk to Kyungdong Market?