Gaemi Supermarket (Korean: 개미슈퍼; lit. ant supermarket) is a historic neighborhood grocery store in Seogye-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea. It has been in continuous operation since the 1900s,[1] and has become a tourist attraction for the city.[2][3][4] In 2018, it was designated an Oraegage, a historic business, by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.[3][1]
Native name | 개미슈퍼 |
|---|---|
| Industry | Grocery store |
| Founded | c. 1900s |
| Headquarters | 31 Cheongpa-ro 85ga-gil, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea |
 | |
The store once served the surrounding sewing industry in the area. After the sewing industry declined in the 2000s, the store's prospects also declined. However, beginning around the 2010s, it reportedly became a popular tourist attraction among foreign visitors to Korea.[2] A nearby wall displays numerous photos the store's own took with visitors.[4] The Seoul government also made it a part of a walking tour course from the nearby Seoul Station, and provided assistance in decorating the store and preparing it for foreign visitors.[4]
As of 2017[update], the store's owner was Cha Hyo-bun (차효분). Cha was born in the area and lived just across from the supermarket; she grew up visiting the store. She is the fifth person to own the store.[1][5][4] Her friendliness and habit of taking and posting photos with visitors is reportedly a significant reason for why the store is liked by both tourists and locals.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c 100년 넘은 청파동 개미슈퍼·홍대 글벗서점…'오래가게' 선정. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ a b "Gaemi Supermarket". visitseoul.net. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ a b "Seoul capitalizes on old stores as a tourism asset". The Korea Times. 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ a b c d e 강, 병용 (2017-11-08). [피플&포커스] ①서울의 역사·문화가 있는 '개미슈퍼'. 천지일보 (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ 오래가게에서 찾은 기억의 맛. love.seoul.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-09-07.