Dongdaemun-gu pushes to become Seoul's northeastern cultural hub

Dongdaemun-gu is pushing to establish itself as a cultural tourism hub in northeastern Seoul, anchoring the effort on two flagship initiatives: the Dongdaemun Culture Belt, which links the district's historic and cultural assets with new facilities, and a dedicated Hanbang Street centered on traditional Korean medicine.

The plan calls for expanding cultural infrastructure connecting an antique art district, a film and media center and a large public library, while introducing tourism content around the Seoul Yangnyeongsi herbal medicine market that combines traditional medicine experiences with performances and food to revitalize the local commercial district.

Dongdaemun-gu hosted Seoul-based press correspondents on Thursday for the "2026 Dongdaemun-gu Press Tour," visiting the Dapsimni antique art market, the future site of the Seoul Metropolitan Library, Gyeongdong Market and the Seoul Oriental Medicine Promotion Center to present its cultural tourism strategy and long-term vision for the current administration.

Linking antique art, film and library into a culture belt

The culture belt begins at the Dapsimni antique art market, which has been home since the early 1980s to a concentration of traditional cultural assets including ceramics, antique paintings and calligraphy, and vintage furniture.

The district plans to develop the antique market into a cultural hub by connecting it with the Dapsimni Film and Media Art Center, allowing visitors to experience both traditional art and contemporary film and media culture in one area.

The Film and Media Art Center, which signed an agreement with the Eland Culture Foundation this year, will expand cultural collaboration by making use of existing spaces including a film set inside the market and the Dapsimni Art Lab. The district is preparing hands-on antique art education programs for children, and next year plans to organize an art fair where merchants and young artists collaborate.

The initiative envisions creating original works inspired by the history, forms and patterns of antique pieces, then exhibiting and selling them alongside the originals — developing traditional cultural assets into new cultural products.

Seoul Metropolitan Library construction accelerates toward ground-breaking

The Seoul Metropolitan Library, the centerpiece of the culture belt, will be built on a site in the Jeonong-dong 691-3 area. A long-awaited project for residents, it will rise on a school site that has sat vacant for years, with two below-ground floors and two above-ground floors covering a total floor area of 25,531 square meters.

The total project cost, excluding land acquisition, is about 226 billion won ($171 million), funded entirely by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The building will be constructed using low-carbon, eco-friendly timber and will house a reading and materials space, a Seoul 50+ Campus, a civic university, a Seoul-style kids cafe and a rooftop garden. The facility aims to be a multigenerational cultural complex combining library functions with exhibition, performance and education.

Design work was completed in June, a construction tender was announced in August, and the district is targeting a ground-breaking in the second half of this year, with construction to be completed in 2030 and the library to open in 2031.

"As this is a Seoul Metropolitan Government project, we need to move quickly on selecting a contractor and breaking ground," Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min said. "Residents have waited a long time for this, and I hope the remaining procedures move swiftly so ground-breaking this year goes ahead without a hitch." He added that the district would spare no administrative support, including securing pedestrian access to Cheongnyangni Station, expanding surrounding infrastructure and coordinating permits and approvals.

Adding performances and food to traditional medicine experiences to create a K-wellness destination

The tour also examined a coexistence model between a traditional market and a private business at Gyeongdong Market. The Starbucks Gyeongdong1960 branch and Geumseong Jeonpasa, both housed in the former Gyeongdong Theater and opened in December 2022, serve as cultural spaces that give visitors new reasons to come to the market. The Gyeongdong1960 branch sets aside 300 won per item sold to fund local community activities, including improvements to the market environment.

The district is also pursuing the creation of a Hanbang Street centered on the Seoul Yangnyeongsi herbal medicine market and the Seoul Oriental Medicine Promotion Center.

The Seoul Oriental Medicine Promotion Center is a traditional medicine complex where visitors can tour a museum, soak their feet in herbal baths, try Bojewon traditional medicine treatments and sample medicinal cuisine. It has also been recognized as a top wellness tourism destination by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization.

The district plans to extend the center's traditional medicine experience programs into the surrounding streets through performances and food, creating a destination where visitors linger on weekends and into the evening. The center's forecourt will be used as a regular weekend cultural space, with seasonal evening programs, street performances and food trucks to be introduced in stages.

The goal is to draw visitors who come for traditional medicine experiences into nearby shops and the traditional market, connecting tourism with the local economy.

The district will commission a master plan study through 2027 to set a concrete direction, and plans to regularize festivals and cultural content to develop the area into a K-wellness tourism destination that draws both domestic and international tourists.

'Dongdaemun Triple Ten' vision spans culture, welfare and economy

The press tour briefing also introduced the "Dongdaemun Triple Ten," a framework outlining the current administration's governing direction.

The three pillars are: a "10-minute daily life" bringing culture, sports and health within easy reach; a "10-minute safety net" ensuring care and welfare services are accessible when needed; and a "decade of transformation" preparing for the future through local economic development, metropolitan transportation, education and youth policy.

To that end, the district will establish cultural and sports hubs across five zones: a performance venue in the Sinseol-Yongdu transit-oriented area, an Arko arts center in the Jegi-Cheongnyangni zone, the Seoul Metropolitan Dongdaemun Library in the Jeonong-Dapsimni zone, a civic hall in the Jangan zone, and a multipurpose welfare center in the Imun-Hwigyeong-Hoegi zone.

Additional initiatives include health management through smart healthcare centers in each neighborhood, reduced commute times via public circulator buses, and the development of signature alley trails and small-business shopping streets. The district also plans to strengthen its social safety net by tackling loneliness and social isolation and expanding integrated care services.

"We will connect the district's history with new cultural spaces to enhance Dongdaemun-gu's appeal," District Mayor Choi said. "We want to make this the cultural heart of northeastern Seoul — a place where residents enjoy culture and learning close to home, and where visitors linger in the markets and alleyways."