RAS Korea Announces Indoor Cultural Walk Through Central Seoul's Hoehyeon, Myeong-dong, and Namdaemun
Key Takeaways
- •RAS Korea, founded in 1900, is organizing an indoor walking tour through central Seoul to accommodate summer heat conditions while exploring cultural and historical sites.
- •Tour leader Jun Shin will guide participants through three museums and landmarks including the Shinsegae Department Store building, originally constructed in 1930 as a Japanese Mitsukoshi branch during the colonial occupation period.
- •The tour route includes Hoehyeon-dong, Myeong-dong Market with its small Chinatown, the Bank of Korea Money Museum, and Namdaemun Market, which dates back to the early Joseon Dynasty.
- •An optional post-tour visit to Eulji OB Bear in Euljiro is planned, a pub that relocated due to gentrification and was featured in the documentary 'Living Euljiro.'
- •The event begins at 11 a.m. near Hoehyeon Station with fees of 15,000 won for non-members and 10,000 won for RAS Korea members, and registration is encouraged before August 6.
With summer heat driving demand for indoor activities, the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea is moving its excursions program indoors for a guided walking tour through central Seoul's Myeong-dong, Hoehyeon-dong, and Namdaemun Market.
Founded in 1900, RAS Korea is one of the oldest foreign cultural organizations on the Korean Peninsula and regularly hosts lectures, tours, and study groups aimed at deepening understanding of Korean history and culture.
Longtime RAS Korea member Jun Shin will lead participants to three museums in the area along with several other indoor destinations and points of interest, followed by refreshments for those who wish to stay.
The tour begins in Hoehyeon-dong at a 400-year-old ginkgo tree, then proceeds to the Woori Bank Museum and Money Box Gallery. From there, the group will pass through the Hoehyeon Underground Shopping Center and enter Shinsegae Department Store.
At the historic department store's rooftop garden, Shin will discuss the Japanese origins of the building's surroundings, which were developed during imperial Japan's 1910–1945 occupation of Korea. The Shinsegae main store occupies the building originally constructed in 1930 as the Keijo (Gyeongseong) branch of Mitsukoshi, a Japanese department store chain, making it one of the most visible colonial-era landmarks in central Seoul.
The walk continues to the Korea Postage Stamp Museum and then to the nearby Myeong-dong Market, home to a small Chinatown surrounding the Chinese Embassy. The final museum stop is the Bank of Korea Money Museum, after which the group will head to Namdaemun Market to sample classic Korean street foods. Namdaemun Market traces its origins to the early Joseon Dynasty and remains one of Seoul's largest and oldest traditional wholesale and retail markets.
Following the official tour, Shin plans to take interested participants to Euljiro for a visit to Eulji OB Bear. The longtime pub was featured in Liron Shalit's documentary "Living Euljiro," which was discussed during a recent RAS Korea lecture. The establishment was forced to relocate from its original site in Euljiro Nogari Alley due to gentrification and a dispute with a new building owner.
The group meets at 11 a.m. near Hoehyeon Station on Seoul Metro Line 4. Participation costs 15,000 won, or 10,000 won for RAS Korea members, and does not cover food or drinks purchased during the event. Those interested are encouraged to register before Aug. 6. Additional information is available at raskb.com.