13 shops added to Seoul's 'Historical Stores' list

Ewha Myeong Joo, a hanbok shop that opened in 1978 in Seocho District, southern Seoul, was newly granted the status of a "Historical Store." Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

By Bahk Eun-ji

Seoul is a city that changes rapidly. Low-rise buildings and old facilities are demolished in the name of urban development, skyscrapers have sprouted everywhere and old alleys are replaced with straightened roads.

Many old stores can still be found throughout the alleys of downtown Seoul, but this is usually not the case for the younger, wealthy districts south of the Han River, which are better known for fancy restaurants and luxury shops with the latest fashions.

The logo for "Oraegage," or "Historical Store" / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

But even in those districts, there are shops that have been around for a long time. Just around the corner from all the glitzy towers, there are places full of decades of good memories.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced recently that it has selected 13 such places in the southeastern parts of the city for "Oraegage," or "Historcal Store" status.

The city government has given the title to stores that have a history of more than 30 years in the Seoul area, shops that have been handed down for two or more generations and stores where masters and craftsmen such as intangible cultural assets ply their trade.

A total of 105 places have been selected since 2017.

The stores selected this time are Manna Dang, Manna Snack, Motungijip, Sangsindang and Gembros in Gangnam District; Doosung Paper, Seowoo Confectionery, Ewha Myeong Joo, Hill String and Dongyang Korea Oriental Instruments in Seocho District; Myungga Tteokjip in Songpa District; Jinsun Audio in Guro District; and Apple House in Dongjak District.

The city divided the 13 places into four themes and provides four tours where people can visit the shops under each theme.

Manna Snack, a new entry to the "Oraegage list," is a snack shop that has been operated since 1990 at Eunma Market in southern Seoul's Gangnam District. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

The first, "Rediscovery of Gangnam," offers different views of Gangnam Station and Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong.

The tour starts from Motungijib, a humble snack shop around the corner from Gangnam Station that is known for spicy fish cake gimbap (rice roll in seaweed) that has been in operation since 1988. This course also includes Sangsindang, a shop making stamps and seals since 1977; Gembros, a jewelry shop that opened in 1984; and Mannadang, a store selling Korean traditional sweets since 1963.

The "Rediscovery of Market" route introduces stores in a market and a shopping center in an old apartment complex, which have maintained their taste for a long time.

Stops include Manna Snack, a snack bar at Eunma Shopping Center that has sold snacks such as tteokbokki (rice cake in spicy sauce) and noodles since in 1990, and Myeongga Tteokjip, which opened in 1980 and is famous for its fist-sized "chapssaltteok" (glutinous rice cake with red bean paste) at Saemaul Market in Songpa District's Jamsil area.

The owner of Myeongga Tteokjip (rice cake shop) poses at the shop in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

The "Rediscovery of Walking" tour is located around Bangbaesai-gil and Naebang Station, where people can take a leisurely stroll.

People can have fried dumplings in spicy sauce at Apple House, a snack bar which opened in 1986, and enjoy cookies made of "nurungji" (crust of overcooked rice) and garlic at Seowoo Confectionery that has been there since 1980.

In Seorae Village, which is known as a French enclave full of trendy restaurants and shops, there is Ewha Myeong Joo, a hanbok store selling Korean traditional clothing since 1978, which has made even foreigners regulars.

The "Rediscovery of Emotions" route is about art.

It includes musical instrument stores such as Hill String, a store selling Western instruments since 1967, and Dong Korea Oriental Instruments, a store manufacturing and selling traditional Korean instruments since 1991.

The owner of Jinsun Audio in Guro District, one of newly named "Oraegage," operates a turntable. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

For those who enjoy the deep and rich tone of vinyl records, visiting Jinsun Audio in Guro District is highly recommended. The store, which opened in 1988, sells handmade turntables.

Ationery is a stationery and office supply store run by Doosung Paper since 1982, where people can find high-quality paper products.

"Seoul is a place where you can enjoy various types of travel," said Choi Kyung-joo, director of the city's tourism and sports bureau. "We expect it to become a travel destination for visitors from all over the world in the near future."

Detailed information about the Oraegage stores and the rediscovery-themed travel tours and routes can be found on Tripadvisor, a global travel platform, according to the city government.