INTERVIEW Every space has a story: Urbanplay connects people with local culture
Hong Joo-seok, CEO of Urbanplay, poses during an interview with The Korea Times at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Oct. 21. Courtesy of Urbanplay
CEO sees company as city's operating system, shaping places through content, experiences
Editor’s note
This is the third in a series of interviews with the heads of promising startups that are pioneers of their respective fields and seek to go public in the near future.
In Korea, cafes are no longer just places to grab a cup of coffee.
They are increasingly becoming cultural venues where visitors can discover local brands, browse curated products and exhibitions and sample menus developed in collaboration with local businesses.
The shift extends beyond cafes, with retail spaces doubling as venues for exhibitions, performances and pop-up events.
For Urbanplay CEO Hong Joo-seok, every space has a story of its own. He believes the value of a physical space lies not simply in its design, but in the experiences it offers and the stories it tells visitors.
"It is important to carefully plan what kind of content visitors will experience and what services can keep them connected to a brand even after the experience ends," Hong said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.
"We are not a company that simply designs the physical structure of a space. We plan the content inside it and design the user experience," he added.
Founded in 2013, Urbanplay connects brands and local creators with audiences through physical spaces. Rather than designing buildings or interiors itself, the company develops the concepts and content for each space and oversees its business planning and operations. It also works with architectural firms and construction companies on detailed designs and construction.
Hong likened Urbanplay's role to that of an operating system for a city. He said the company has developed its own Urbanplay OS, drawing on 13 years of accumulated data.
"Through this system, we can anticipate changes in the offline environment, recommend content suited to our partners and simulate how spaces can be planned and operated," he said.
The company's projects range from neighborhood cultural venues to corporate spaces and large-scale exhibitions.
For example, Yeonnam Bangagan, a cafe and curated lifestyle store with locations near Seoul Station and at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, showcases local brands, artists and seasonal products.
Yeonnamjang in Seoul's Yeonhui-dong neighborhood / Courtesy of Urbanplay
Yeonnamjang, located in Seoul's Yeonhui-dong neighborhood, focuses on performances, lectures and other cultural events. Its FYI lounge in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam District, combines a cafe with a curated selection of books and stationery aimed at people working in the startup industry.
Hong's idea is to give people a reason to visit a place beyond the products it sells.
The company applied this approach to the 2026 Seoul Design Week, held from Oct. 14 to 25, by connecting 150 design destinations across five areas through the Seoul Design Road: Dongdaemun, Seongsu, Yeonhui, Seochon and Apgujeong.
Rather than simply listing design-related venues across the city, the routes connected places where visitors can encounter products, crafts, studios and exhibitions within distinct neighborhoods, the CEO said.
The company has also sought to connect individual creators and businesses with broader neighborhood experiences. Through local projects in Seoul and other cities, including Busan and Gwangju, it brings together shops, artists and cultural programs to give visitors more reasons to explore an area.
Urbanplay also works to nurture small businesses, which Hong refers to as "local creators" rather than simply small-business owners.
The company helps them develop their own brands and content, sometimes through incubation programs run in partnership with public institutions such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
"We began using the term 'local creators' around 2015," Hong said. "It refers to entrepreneurs who build their own brands and content and can grow their businesses around their own intellectual property."
"Small businesses generally operate on a self-employment model, so scaling up is structurally difficult. But we believe that businesses with strong intellectual property, creativity and compelling stories have the potential to grow into bigger brands."
Hong cited Sungsimdang, the Daejeon bakery that has become a tourist attraction in its own right, as an example of a local brand’s power to draw visitors.
Yeonnamjang in Seoul's Yeonhui-dong neighborhood / Courtesy of Urbanplay
Beyond helping local businesses attract visitors, Urbanplay also seeks to introduce international audiences to Korea's regional culture and identity.
Hong cited Seochon, near Gyeongbokgung Palace, as an example of a neighborhood that offers a glimpse into different layers of Korean culture, where traditional architecture and cultural heritage coexist with contemporary brands.
Urbanplay put this vision into practice last October with "Edition Seochon," a five-day local art fair that brought together young artists, shops and brands across the neighborhood.
The event turned streets and neighborhood venues into spaces for exhibitions, pop-ups and cultural programs, with the aim of developing Seochon into a globally recognized cultural district.
Looking beyond Korea, Hong sees opportunities to bring Korean local brands and creators to overseas markets. He said Urbanplay could serve as a bridge, connecting them with potential partners abroad.
"We receive a lot of proposals, particularly from Southeast Asia, where there is growing demand for urban development projects that incorporate Korean culture," Hong said. "Since we have a pool of business owners in food and beverage, lifestyle, design and culture, we will be able to bring various brands together and create exhibition spaces."
Urbanplay is also exploring opportunities in Europe, where interest in Korean culture is extending beyond entertainment and popular culture. Hong said the company had held several meetings with potential partners in the region, where Korean wellness, food, crafts and visual arts have attracted attention.
"Even in countries such as Switzerland, there is considerable interest in Korean wellness culture. Along with interest in the Buddhist culture, they are interested in Korean food made with healthy ingredients, particularly temple cuisine," Hong said.