[자막뉴스] Following the map, I found myself in a ‘different world’… Hongdae turned into a sacred place.

From figures that are exact replicas of cartoon characters,

Souvenirs such as key chains, and even long-awaited new books.

This place has everything related to animation. It is the world’s largest animation product company that first arrived in Hongdae, Seoul five years ago.

Immediately after expanding the space to its current location in 2021, there was a long waiting line due to the ‘open run’ crowd, and three years later, the number of visitors continues.

[김보경 / 서울 누상동 : 저희가 학생이라 시간이 별로 없어서 많이는 못 오는데 한 번 올 때 좀 많이 보고 가고, 굿즈 같은 것도 많이 사요.]

[유수민 / 서울 송월동 : [주술회전] I like it, and this friend recommended it so we watched it together.]

The customers who fill the store are mainly young people in their teens to 30s, and for them, consuming animation is not something that deserves to be looked at as ‘special’ or something to hide.

[정태수 / 서울 신대방동 : (과거에는 애니메이션 소비에 대한) 부정적인 시선이 있던 것 같은데, 요즘에는 되게 장벽이 낮아진 것 같아요. 시선이나, 공유하는 데 있어서도 편안하게 얘기하는 것 같습니다.]

In addition to large stores, small stores have recently opened up in the surrounding alleys, turning this place into an animation ‘holy place.’

The ‘Hongdae Otaku Map’, a collection of stores, is being shared online.

This animation product store, which opened in Hongdae last year, attracts close to 10,000 customers every weekend.

Store manager Jeong Cheong-hak, who went from a figure collector to a seller;

It is analyzed that the increase in demand for animation-related products to the extent that similar stores are growing nearby was also influenced by COVID-19.

[정청학 / 홍대 애니메이션 가게 점장 : 코로나19 시기 때 큰 규모의 피규어 샵들은 초기에 없어졌어요, 유지가 어려워서…. (그런데 장기화하면서) 이런 피규어 취미, 프라모델 취미를 집에서도 즐길 수 있다 보니 수요자들이 많아졌고, 그러다 보니 오프라인 가게도 많아진 것 같아요.]

Hongdae, which has become a mecca for animation, is attracting the attention of foreigners, and the ‘Teojudaegam’ stores are also smiling happily.

One thing I hope is that the culture of ‘respect for taste’ that has taken root in Hongdae is maintained for a long time.

[신원철 / 홍대 애니메이션 가게 직원 : (애니메이션도) 하나의 볼거리 같은 영상물이라 생각하고 보면 괜찮을 거 같고, (가게도) 지나가다가 편하게 ‘저게 있네’ (하며) 구경하는 그런 느낌으로 되면 좋을 것 같습니다.]

The animation consumption culture that had suddenly taken root in downtown Seoul was filled with sincerity about taste.

This is YTN Song Jae-in.

Photographer: Kim Hyun-mi
Reporting cooperationㅣAK Plaza Hongdae branch ‘Animate’
Subtitle NewsㅣLee Seon

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