Explore Seoul's cinema hub: Jung District launches movie, alleyway stamp tour
Summary
Jung District is hosting the Eulji-Myeongbo Stamp Tour through Aug. 28 in the Eulji-ro and Chungmu-ro shopping district and at the Seoul Film Center. Visitors can collect stamps by visiting the film center and two participating businesses, with the first 300 to complete the tour receiving a 10,000 won Onnuri gift certificate. The promotion involves 34 local businesses and is intended to encourage cultural visits and neighborhood spending. The district was recently selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ Promising Alley Commercial District Development Project.
Key Facts
- Visitors can receive their first stamp by showing a Seoul Film Center movie ticket or posting a review of their visit on personal social media.
- To earn the other two stamps, participants must visit two businesses marked on the tour map, order a meal or beverage and post photo reviews on social media.
- Tour maps and rewards are available daily from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm through Aug. 28, or until the gift vouchers run out.
- The 10,000 won Onnuri gift certificate can be used at traditional markets and local commercial zones.
- Jung-gu Mayor Kim Kil-sung said the district hopes the tour will draw visitors into the alleyways and support local spending.
Manseon Hof, a popular pub located near Eulji-ro 1-ga Station in Seoul’s Jung District / Korea Times file
Families on summer break, couples seeking unique date spots and local office workers searching for lunch options in downtown Seoul have a new incentive to explore the vibrant alleyways of Chungmu-ro and Eulji-ro.
The Jung District Office said Wednesday that it is hosting the Eulji-Myeongbo Stamp Tour through Aug. 28 across the Eulji-ro and Chungmu-ro alley-style shopping district and the newly designated Seoul Film Center.
Organized by the Eulji-Myeongbo Merchants Association, the promotion spans 34 local businesses located along the trendy "hip-muro" corridors — a playful portmanteau of hip and Chungmu-ro — featuring long-established eateries, hidden wine bars and eclectic cafes. The merchant group partnered with the Seoul Film Center to encourage both cultural visits and local neighborhood spending.
Participating in the tour involves three straightforward steps.
First, visitors show a Seoul Film Center movie ticket or upload a visit review to their personal social media accounts to receive a tour map and their first stamp at the film center's ticket booth. Next, participants visit two participating businesses marked on the map, order a meal or beverage and post photo reviews on social media to earn two additional stamps. Finally, the first 300 participants to collect all three stamps will receive a 10,000 won ($7.20) Onnuri gift certificate — usable at traditional markets and local commercial zones — at the Seoul Film Center ticket office.
Tour maps can be issued and rewards redeemed daily between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm through Aug. 28, or until gift vouchers run out.
The Eulji-ro and Chungmu-ro district, recently selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ Promising Alley Commercial District Development Project, sits at a unique intersection of Korean heritage and pop culture. Nestled near the historic Chungmu-ro film street and the birthplace of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, famous for defending the Joseon Dynasty against Japanese invasions during the Imjin War (1592–1598), district officials aim to leverage these cultural assets to transform the area into a long-stay cultural and tourism hub.
"We hope this stamp tour will highlight the hidden charm of the Eulji-myeongbo district and encourage foot traffic and local spending deep inside these alleyways," said Jung-gu Mayor Kim Kil-sung. "We will continue to inject vitality into our neighborhood economies through tailored initiatives that celebrate each district's distinct character."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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