Starbucks Opens Hwangudan Branch... Donates 50 Million Won to Cultural Heritage Protection Fund

_Interior view of Starbucks Hwangudan Branch.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] To commemorate the ‘2020 Cultural Heritage Visit’ campaign led by the Cultural Heritage Administration, Starbucks is actively participating in cultural heritage protection activities by opening the Hwanggudan store in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul on the 18th.

Starbucks Coffee Korea held a ceremony on the 17th with the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Cultural Heritage Trust to celebrate the opening of the Hwanggudan store and to sponsor cultural heritage protection, signing a donation agreement for the Cultural Heritage Preservation Fund. Additionally, Starbucks plans to raise 50 million KRW within this year to donate to the Cultural Heritage Trust for the support of modern cultural heritage preservation.

At the Hwanggudan store, Starbucks will introduce mugs and tumblers commemorating the Proclamation of the Korean Empire in October, and plans to raise a total of 50 million KRW for the Cultural Heritage Preservation Fund through sales revenue from these merchandise items.

The Hwanggudan store is a newly reopened branch renovated from the former Sogong-dong store, featuring interior designs themed around key elements of Korean cultural heritage architecture such as Hwanggudan and Hwanggungwoo, allowing customers to experience and connect with Korean cultural heritage more intimately.

The beverage preparation counters and building pillars inside the store reflect the brick pattern of the Hwanggudan Stone Three Gates (石造三問: the main gate leading to Hwanggungwoo), and the product display shelves are inspired by the octagonal roof of Hwanggungwoo located on the pedestal within the Hwanggudan complex. Furthermore, a digital community board inside the store screens videos introducing the history and cultural value of Hwanggudan.

In addition, the store harmoniously expresses the beauty of Korean cultural heritage and traditional culture by modernly interpreting hanok architecture, installing floor seating areas, cushions, stepping stones, and window-style partitions inside the store.

Hwanggudan is a historic cultural heritage site designated as National Historic Site No. 157, where Emperor Gojong changed the country’s name from Joseon to the Korean Empire, performed rites to the heavens, and held the emperor’s enthronement ceremony.

CEO Song Hoseop stated, “To mark this year’s Cultural Heritage Visit campaign, we renovated the existing store and reopened it as the Hwanggudan store to promote the history and cultural value of Hwanggudan. We will continue our efforts as guardians of cultural heritage to ensure that our proud cultural assets are well preserved and passed on to future generations.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.