‘Enjoy the year-end atmosphere’ already… The reason why people flocked before sunset
Myeong-dong transformed into a ‘certification photo spot’ ahead of Christmas
# 5 p.m. on the 25th. About 60 people gathered near Exit 1 of Hoehyeon Underground Shopping Center, a so-called ‘prestigious place’, although there were 30 minutes left before the media facade of the department store’s main store started operating. Even though it was a weekday, the number of people increased and the number increased to 350 near the official opening time of 5:30. On this day, when the operation of the media facade was delayed by about 15 minutes, there were voices of shame among the crowd of over 400 people.
Mr. Choi (26), an office worker who visited Myeong-dong this year as well as last year, said, “It was hard to wait because the start time was delayed,” but expressed satisfaction, saying, “(Videos and decorations) seem prettier and splendid than last year.” did.
With Christmas approaching in less than a month, crowds began to gather on the streets of Myeong-dong at night. This is because Shinsegae Department Store and Lotte Department Store are operating light emitting diode (LED) media façades that decorate the exteriors of their buildings, and the number of onlookers visiting the night streets of Myeong-dong whispering with stars has increased. People of various ages flocked to the department store, centering on the MZ (Millennial + Z) generation who wanted to upload a social network service (SNS) authentication shot.
People who wanted to preoccupy a good spot to take pictures or videos started to gather about two hours ago. Even before the sun went down, there were also people who had set up tripods and waited for the video shoot. A safety line had been drawn in advance to prevent people from crowding between Exit 1 of Hoehyeon Underground Shopping Center, which is considered one of the best spots, and the road.
In particular, there were a large number of people in their 20s who wanted to take an authentication shot. Lee Mo (25), who visited the media facade of Shinsegae Department Store with her boyfriend, said, “Last year’s Christmas video was so beautiful that I wanted to see it again this year, so I waited from around 4:00. I took a picture, but since I came early this time, I will take a proper picture,” he smiled. Choi Mo (25), a college student who visited with three classmates, said, “I saw it through Instagram (SNS) last year and thought I must come this year. I expected it, but there are still many people.”
As onlookers flock to see the Christmas decorations from the main store of Shinsegae Department Store to the main store of Lotte Department Store, the atmosphere in the nearby commercial district is also lively..
Mr. Kim (43), who sells chicken skewers in Myeong-dong, said, “I can see the scenery where people flocked to Myeong-dong during Christmas in the past. After the decoration operation, a lot of people come and I feel like I live in the surrounding atmosphere.”
It seems that the Itaewon disaster has also brought in demand to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere in places with relatively less crowds.
Mr. Park (28), an office worker who came from Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, said, “After the Itaewon disaster, I don’t go to crowded places. I visited early in the morning thinking that it would be less crowded than on weekends, but I was surprised by the number of people.”
A 20-year-old college student named Kim said, “I want to enjoy the exotic atmosphere, but my heart is heavy to go to Itaewon. It’s nice to get off at the subway station (Euljiro 1-ga Station) and enjoy the Christmas decorations throughout the walk (to Shinsegae Department Store’s main store) and take pictures to post on social media. There were a lot of tourists, so it was fun.”
Major department stores have started to light up their storefronts with Christmas decorations. It looks like it started attracting customers at the end of the year with a media façade that embroidered the exterior of the building in a variety of ways so as not to miss the demand while refraining from marketing that was noisy due to the Itaewon disaster.
The media facade of the Shinsegae headquarters has been selected as a hot place for year-end proof shots since last year. This year, the media facade started operating on the 19th. A video with the theme of ‘Magical Winter Fantasy’ runs every day from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm. The media facade of the head office used 3.5 million LED chips, an increase of 2.1 million from last year.
Lotte Department Store also started showing Christmas displays at its main store and Jamsil branch under the theme of ‘Christmas Dream Moment’ from the 15th. In the case of the main store, a European-style arcade facade was created in collaboration with artist Song Ji-hye. Young Plaza also operates a media facade from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day to illuminate the streets of Myeong-dong. Lotte Department Store was originally scheduled to show the Christmas display from the 3rd, but the start date was delayed due to the Itaewon disaster.
In addition, the Christmas display operation started early in October but was stopped due to the Itaewon disaster.
It has also started to resume operations. In ‘H Village’, which can be found at the main gate of The Hyundai Seoul Sounds Forest in Yeouido, Seoul, the Trade Center branch, the Apgujeong main branch, and the Pangyo branch, a large Christmas tree up to 13m high, sculptures, and log cabins are installed.
Galleria Department Store, in partnership with Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta, will showcase Christmas trees and exterior decorations in its luxury goods hall.
Along with this, the department store industry plans to hold the last regular sale this year and catch the footsteps of consumers who come to take proof shots. Major department stores are holding regular winter sales until the 4th of next month.
During the event, Lotte Department Store offers 10-50% discounts on over 600 brands. Hyundai Department Store also offers up to 50% discount on new winter products from over 300 brands. It is characterized by a up to 20% increase in the volume of outerwear such as padding and coats compared to last year. Galleria Department Store also offers 10-50% discounts on over 200 brands.
Oh Jung-min/Kim Se-rin, reporters at Hankyung.com [email protected]
Video = Reporter Shin Yong-hyun Hankyung.com [email protected]