Why does Euljiro come alive at night? Seoul's G3 panel finds out

The Global Attraction subcommittee of the G3 Seoul Planning Committee — a body established to help propel Seoul into the ranks of the world's top three cities — toured the Euljiro district Thursday night to assess its nighttime tourism infrastructure and the vitality of its alley commerce, seeking ways to sharpen Seoul's competitiveness as a global cultural tourism destination.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the G3 Planning Committee is a public-private partnership formed to identify future growth strategies and key policy priorities for Seoul. It operates through seven sector-specific subcommittees covering areas closely tied to residents' daily lives — including health, residential affairs and transportation — along with three special subcommittees, with roughly 90 members in total.

The Global Attraction subcommittee was created to expand the spaces and hours in which Seoulites and visitors can enjoy culture, working toward the vision of Seoul as a "global cultural tourism city" that people from around the world seek out at any time and place. Its particular focus is activating Seoul's nighttime cultural and tourism scene, with the goal of making the city a "cultural tourism destination that never sleeps."

Subcommittee members walked a route taking in the printing shop and metalworking alley, the Euljiro whelk alley and the dried pollack outdoor bar street, observing the nighttime streetscape, pedestrian environment and the flow of tourist foot traffic. Euljiro has carved out a distinctive identity by layering cafes, craft studios and cultural spaces atop a dense cluster of print shops, ironworks and workshops, creating a neighborhood where traditional urban industry and emerging culture coexist. That singular atmosphere has earned it the nickname "Hipjiro," making it one of Seoul's most talked-about cultural and tourism destinations.

The whelk alley and dried pollack alley in particular have given rise to a lively food and outdoor-drinking culture, turning the area into a nighttime urban attraction that draws younger visitors and foreign tourists alike.

During the on-site inspection, members took note of the distinctive energy that keeps Euljiro buzzing with domestic and international visitors well into the night. At a roundtable held after the tour, participants agreed that locally rooted culture reflecting a neighborhood's identity can itself drive global tourism competitiveness, and discussed a range of measures to invigorate nighttime tourism.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to further strengthen the city's nighttime tourism infrastructure — so that tourists can stay out safely and enjoyably after dark — drawing on the findings from the visit and the subcommittee's recommendations.

Seo Won-seok, chair of the Global Attraction subcommittee, said the panel would work to ensure that "the energy witnessed on the ground and the expert recommendations from our members are actively reflected in the Seoul Metropolitan Government's 9th elected-term city administration plan, so that appealing nighttime tourism destinations can be expanded across Seoul."