VOL.69/2024.04

 

[Into the Book ⑧]

Warm Hope in a Cold City

Jongno-gu, Seoul: What’s still with us today

 

2024.03.11

 

 

 

As I thought Mujae was somehow looking shady when he said, “Don’t follow shadows,”
I strained my eyes and looked again, and there was a sunshower falling like a spider’s web.

 

 

Hwang Jung-Eun’s first full-length novel, One Hundred Shadows (Changbi), is the story of Eunkyo and Mujae, two characters working in an electronics store in the center of the city. The cold cityscape and the old, desolate electronics mall are the backdrop of the novel, but the two protagonists’ youthful love story is what makes this novel so appealing, with just the right amount of heaviness and lightness. Also, the story of “shadows” in the title is not to be missed - the unrealistic occurrence of shadows rising up on their own is very familiar in the novel’s worldview. The separation of shadows experienced by characters who have experienced pain in their lives and the way they suffer or die while following their separated shadows, gives off a strange and frightening feeling.
One Hundred Shadows, which won a literary award shortly after its publication in 2010 and was revised in 2022, still poses meaningful questions for the Korean literary scene today. The reconstruction of buildings, the grief of losing loved ones, and the loss of jobs in the story resonate even today, more than a decade later, as they remind us of similar events happening around us. Eunkyo and Mujae’s workplace, where they begin their romance, is an old electronics store awaiting reconstruction... The contrast between the two makes each situation more emphatic, and as you read, you will be able to picture a specific place in your head. And at the end of the story, the writer even mentions the real-life place where the story is set in the afterword, making One Hundred Shadows very much in touch with reality. We traveled to Jongno-gu, Seoul, where the love between Eunkyo and Mujae is depicted with warm hope, like a flower blooming in a cold city.

 

 

From a mecca for electronic goods distribution to a cultural complex!

 

 

I’m working in an electronics store in the city center. (...)
The mall was originally five separate buildings, but they have been renovated here and
there over the course of forty years, making it impossible to tell at first glance
where and how they are connected.

 

 

The electronics store where Eun-gyo and Moo-jae work is, as the writer revealed, Sewoon Plaza in Jongno. Sewoon Plaza was built in 1968 as Korea’s first comprehensive electronic shopping mall, with the purpose of “gathering the energy of the world.” Located in Jongno, the center of Seoul, it boasts 56 years of tradition and has been home to many prominent companies, including TriGem Computer, Hancom, Commax, and many more. Over time, Sewoon Plaza, like the electronics mall in the book, gradually declined as the building aged, e-commerce grew, and the number of customers dropped. In 2017, as part of Seoul’s urban regeneration project, it was remodeled to include a sky walkway, an electronics museum, and a tech book lounge. Today, the newly created cultural space coexists with the old electrical and electronic parts shops that still stand.
Each floor from the 1st to the 4th is categorized by the products it sells, and you can go directly up to the 3rd-floor sky walkway via stairs from the 1st-floor Sewoon Plaza. If you want to explore the newly built electronics museum, tech book lounge, and others, just head straight up to the third floor. We took a moment to take in the view of Seoul from the top, and it was refreshing to see some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as Jongmyo and Gwangjang Market, closer than you can from a tall building. If you walk around a little further, you can meet AH-BOT, the mascot of Sewoon Plaza. You can also take a break by sitting on a bench made from an old signboard and enjoying the view of the Cheonggyecheon stream.

 

 

 

Once you have had enough of the view of Seoul, head inside the Sewoon Electronics Museum to learn more about the history of Sewoon Plaza. Here, you can learn about the history of Sewoon Plaza, from the time when junk dealers gathered along Cheonggyecheon stream before the establishment of Sewoon Plaza, to the golden age of Sewoon Plaza when people were so busy working that they didn’t have time to eat, to the newly renovated Sewoon Plaza today. It’s also fascinating to see electronic components and products from the past that can only be found in history books. The Sewoon Tech Book Lounge, located across the sky walkway from the electronics museum, is also a must-visit when visiting Sewoon Plaza. Decorated like a hotel lobby, with fluffy sofas and a cozy atmosphere, the lounge is a small public library with a collection of technical books. It is open to everyone, and you can take some time to relax while reading a book that interests you.

 

 

 

Unique spots to see the transformation of Seoul

 

Euljiro Street, also known as hipjiro (Hip+Euljiro) by the younger generation, is a 10-minute walk from Sewoon Plaza. Like “Omusa” in One Hundred Shadows, it is lined with old lighting and electrical and electronic parts stores, but there are also cultural and art exhibitions, restaurants worth visiting and cafes hidden throughout. One of them is H.Art 1, an exhibition space near Euljiro 4(sa)ga Station, where artworks are carefully selected and displayed based on generations, regions, and seasons. The 1st floor is a cafe, and the 2nd floor is an exhibition room where visitors can enjoy a wide variety of works. The exhibits are changed periodically. As Euljiro Street looks so different at night than it does during the day, it is worth spending some time exploring the hidden hot spots in the alleyways.

 

 

 

 

On Sundays, I would ride my bike down the stream to get some air,
and then turn toward my father’s house.

 

 

If you are looking for another spot to experience the vibrancy of Seoul’s changing landscape, head down to Sewoon Plaza and walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream. Cheonggyecheon stream, where Eunkyo rides her bike and gets some fresh air in the book, underwent a major renovation from 2003 to 2005. Another fun part of the stream, which hosts various cultural events and is sometimes used as an art space, is the Cheonggyecheon Secondhand Bookstore Street. Walk leisurely for 20 minutes from Sewoon Plaza, and you will find the secondhand bookstore street near Dongdaemun Pyounghwa Market. Old secondhand bookstores and books that are probably even older are waiting for new owners. Time will fly by as you walk along Cheonggyecheon stream, where the old and new neighborhoods of Seoul intertwine. Seoul’s transformation is still ongoing.

 

 

 

Nevertheless, the song of hope goes on

 

 

Eunkyo, it’s dangerous to stick your head out like that.
It’s because I can see the ocean.
There’s a better place you can enjoy.

 

 

At the end of One Hundred Shadows, there is a scene where Eunkyo and Mujae go on a trip in an old used car. Their destination beyond Seoul is Seokmodo, an island off the coast of Ganghwado, Incheon. Eunkyo and Mujae have a great time on Seokmodo, eating delicious food and exploring the temples. As they watch the sunset, they miss the boat off the island and find themselves stranded, but they are able to rely on each other because they are together. After the publication of One Hundred Shadows, Seokmodo got a bridge - meaning people can now travel to and from the island by car. If you have a long travel itinerary and want to see the sea near Seoul, why not take a spontaneous trip to Seokmodo, just like Eunkyo and Mujae did? Your cold heart will be warmed by the blue sky and deep sea, and before you know it, you will find yourself humming a song like the two lovers in the book.

 

 

---

Written by Choi Ha-Yeong