Guides show tourists athe way at Myeong-dong street in central Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-hyun

Myeong-dong is embracing an experience-oriented approach to tourism and enhancing its environment through new cultural content facilities like ArtBreeze, a cultural complex that opened in December last year.

This initiative, which prioritizes providing experiential programs and improving the overall tourism landscape, seeks to solidify Myeong-dong's position as a core tourism hot spot amid a growing number of foreign tourists.

According to the Jung District Office, the average daily number of foreign visitors this year reached 434,881 as of the end of March, nearly triple the previous year's count of 156,198.

ArtBreeze in Myeong-dong is spread across three basement floors and six floors that are above ground. The space boasts various facilities where people can enjoy cultural experiences.

The second basement floor features a YouTube studio, the first basement floor hosts a small performance hall, and the first and second floors include lobbies and cafes. The third floor houses a gallery, the fifth floor accommodates a dance studio, and the sixth floor offers an event venue.

The complex aims to offer cultural and artistic experiences not only to foreign tourists but also to residents and office workers in the vicinity of Myeong-dong.

Leveraging these facilities, the district office is providing diverse cultural services, including year-round exhibitions, small-scale cultural performances and space rental services.

Aligned with the district office's vision of making Myeong-dong a symbol of Korean culture, the focus is on offering high-quality programs.

Students take a dance class at ArtBreeze, a cultural complex in Myeong-dong. Courtesy of Jung District Office

For instance, renowned dance teacher Ham Ji-eun, known for her work teaching Lisa from the K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, conducts classes at ArtBreeze's dance studio. Additionally, folk painting classes led by artists Jung Jae-eun, whose paintings were featured in the movie "The King's Letter," and the spouse of Sung Kim, a prominent American diplomat of Korean descent, are offered.

In addition to these two classes, ArtBreeze is also hosting meditation and yoga sessions within its complex.

Special one-day classes also draw attention among visitors. On March 27, a free lecture promoting Korean makeup styles and cosmetic products took place at the complex. The district office plans to expand this type of one-day makeup class, specifically targeting foreign tourists.

Furthermore, the district office is contemplating introducing a program that lets foreign tourists immerse themselves in Korean culture, including the opportunity to wear "hanbok" (traditional Korean clothing). It also plans to open the ArtBreeze studio, allowing tourists to take photos wearing hanbok.

People participate in a special one-day class, that promotes Korean-style makeup at ArtBreeze in Myeong-dong, March 27. Courtesy of Jung District Office

Despite Myeong-dong's popularity among foreign tourists, there hasn't been a dedicated hanbok experience venue.

Considering this situation, the district office plans to utilize ArtBreeze to provide a hanbok experience for tourists visiting Myeong-dong.

In line with ArtBreeze, Myeong-dong hosts various festivals for tourists' enjoyment. The ongoing Seoul Festa 2024 Myeongdong Festival will run until Monday, transforming the entire area into a massive pop-up store with various programs.

The festival features a stamp tour, which allows tourists to collect stamps by visiting specific designated locations. Social media promotion events and free tasting events will also take place.

In addition, beer festivals in October and light festivals from November to January are also prominent annual events in Myeong-dong.

With a surge in tourist visits expected, the district office is proactively addressing issues that could cause inconvenience to tourists.

Last year, concerns were raised about overpriced street food in Myeong-dong that is targeted at tourists. In response, the district office took decisive action.

An information center for the Seoul Festa 2024 Myeongdong Festival is located on a street in Myeong-dong, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-hyun

Myeong-dong has been designated as a mandatory area for price labeling to address the issue of certain stores inflating prices for tourists. This measure aims to correct the behavior of overcharging by visibly marking food prices.

Additionally, to eliminate rip-off fees, prices of popular street food items, such as fish-shaped bun and fishcakes, are monitored every month.

Furthermore, to tackle the prevalent cash-only payment practice of street vendors, which also caused inconvenience to visitors, measures were implemented earlier this year to register businesses and install card terminals.

These initiatives aim to position Myeong-dong as the lead in redefining the tourism landscape with a focus on experience-based attractions and establishing itself as a hub for tourism in Korea.