Daegu City Acquires Building of 'Muyeongdang,' the First Department Store Founded by Ethnic Capital, "To Preserve as Cultural Asset"

Acquisition of the Building for Gusoang Poet's Activity Space 'Daejiba'

Daegu City Purchased the 'Muyeongdang' Building

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] Daegu City has dramatically purchased 'Muyeongdang' and 'Daejiba,' which have very high historical and cultural value as modern architectural structures, just before their demolition, enabling their preservation.

According to Daegu City on the 22nd, 'Muyeongdang' is the first department store built by Korean capitalist Lee Geun-mu, who resisted Japanese capital during the colonial period. It was a space where local new intellectuals and artists such as Lee Sang-hwa and Lee In-sung, whom he sponsored, actively interacted.

'Daejiba' was an activity space frequently visited by the poet Gu Sang, who was called the nobleman of Hyangchon-dong during the Korean War and acted as a patron for refugee writers, along with junior literary figures.

Daegu City, monitoring the situation to preserve modern architectural structures in the old downtown area at risk of destruction, obtained information about the demolition of 'Muyeongdang' and 'Daejiba' and persistently persuaded the owners, successfully negotiating the purchase.

Regarding the two purchased sites, the city plans to create lively and beloved spaces where young people and citizens frequently visit and various experiments are attempted, by listening to diverse opinions from experts and citizens.

For systematic investigation and management of the overall assets, surveys and database creation are being conducted in connection with the 'Cultural Heritage Administration Historical and Cultural Asset Survey Project,' and in cooperation with the Daegu Architectural Culture Union, an urban regeneration archive will also be established.

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