Seoul: When tourists land in Seoul, the most obvious places to head to are the royal palaces, the traditional Hanok village and the Namsan Tower. But with the global boom in South Korea’s soft power, its tourism is changing too. Seoul has a new playground for fans eager to experience the best of Korean pop culture. Called HiKR Ground, this shiny new exhibition complex allows visitors to “enjoy Korean tourism content in multiple ways”, with an entire floor dedicated to the K-pop fan phenomenon.
Earlier known as K-Style Hub, HiKR Ground is unlike any other tourist centre in the South Korean capital. Instead of harking back to the 500-year-old Joseon dynasty, this immersive cultural centre roleplays as a museum of the ‘now’. It celebrates a present that has discovered and embraced K-pop in an unprecedented way.
Operated by the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO), this four-storey centre is a testament to how South Korea has effortlessly used pop culture to introduce other aspects of its society to the world.
K-pop powered tourism
When K-Style Hub opened in 2016, it did have a ‘Korean wave’ section. However, the spotlight was focused equally on traditional food, clothes and medical tourism. KTO even facilitated visitors to experience Korean culinary lessons.
Fast forward to July 2022, and the space reopened as HiKR Ground after a year of rebuilding. The food and clothing sections were replaced with Korean art and tourism. And K-pop became the crown jewel, connecting visitors to other segments within the structure.
KTO was determined to turn HiKR Ground into a landmark of Korean tourism, and the makeover paid off—the centre received more than 6.6 lakh tourists within a year.
“It is about twice the number of visitors K-Style Hub received a year before its remodelling,” a KTO official told ThePrint over email.
Upon entering the premises, visitors are welcomed by a large media wall with images promoting Korean tourism. But the next floor, called the K-pop Ground, offers the most interesting experience for K-pop aficionados. Free entry, unlimited stay and the latest technology make it a paradise for fans; they walk past props mimicking glitzy Korean music videos and get to create customised content.
“We wanted to transform it into a space where experience and production of content can take place together. The way was by targeting the digital natives – millennial and GenZ tourists – and placing K-culture in a way they would like, by combining [it] with the digital universe,” said the KTO official.
KTO’s approach works because fans don’t just consume content – they participate in the fandom culture by creating their own high-quality photos and videos at concerts, airports and other places.
K-pop Ground allows them to produce such content by providing sets that resemble iconic music videos. For instance, a ‘laundromat’ takes you back to Jennie Kim’s song Solo (2019) and BTS’ Permission to Dance (2021). A ‘subway train’ will remind you of Aespa’s Black Mamba (2022) and a spaceship tunnel of their 2021 single Next Level.
This experience is elevated when fans create content powered by Extended Reality (XR) – the realm where Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR) and everything in between comes together. Fans can perform on a stage where they can choose from 100 XR tech-created backdrops to make personal music videos. There’s also a segment called ‘K-pop dance evolution’ where fans can choose a song play dance games on an immersive digital screen.
“HiKR Ground was a complete sensory treat for me, especially their K-pop section. My favourite was a train compartment set where one could customise the lights, music and graphics on the screens to create their own mini K-pop fantasy moment. It reminded me of a similar set in the song ‘Pop/Stars’ by K/DA,” said Deya Ray, a visitor at the centre.
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A stepping stone to Korean culture
HiKR Ground also promotes other aspects of Korean culture, such as its thriving art scene. Visitors can witness unique artworks in a special exhibition hall called the HiKR Artrium. A fabric installation by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh called North Wall hangs midair along the Artrium’s staircase. He is known for making installations of homes made from silk.
The space is routinely updated with new art to reflect different aspects of Korean tourism. The works of artist Kim Heung Sik were displayed here earlier, which the KTO official said “was to promote Korean tourism in connection with local festivals”. Until 23 June, information on and from Netflix’s K-drama content, such as the places mentioned in them, was on display in the HiKR Art Museum. There are also plans to exhibit virtual reality videos of K-dramas.
“The second floor is a variable exhibition space where you can experience Hallyu and Korean tourism. There is a plan to collaborate with various fields as well as art, and we are open to any collaboration that can promote Hallyu and Korean tourism,” the KTO official said.
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Local tourism through VR tech
The centre also promotes local tourism. Virtual reality is used to inform tourists about local festivals nationwide. Under ‘The Light of Korea’ theme, for one, viewers can get a virtual glimpse of the country’s three light festivals. And they can choose between natural, industrial, and historic light.
On the third floor, known as HiKR Cave, visitors are informed about wellness attractions and South Korea’s five tourist hubs.
Tourists then conclude their visit on the fourth floor, unwinding at a spacious lounge and terrace. A tourism information centre and a popular doughnut shop are strategically located next to the resting area.
“I liked how the centre was structured overall, with one floor each dedicated to arts, K-pop and wellness. It’s like an experience library for Hallyu overall where exhibits and experience have replaced books,” Ray remarked.
From the terrace, one can spot the Cheonggyecheon stream gently wind through Seoul’s concrete landscape – a pensive view after an intense K-pop and XR technology-driven cultural experience.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)