It Was Just a Neighborhood Waterfall... The Amazing Twist Caused by the 'Cafe Pokpo'

The 'Cafe Waterfall' Butterfly Effect Reborn as a Tourist Attraction
Expansion Includes Youth Cultural Space and Scholarship Provision
Plans to Establish 2nd and 3rd Locations like Yujin Sangga

Hongje Waterfall and Cafe Waterfall Four Seasons, popular on SNS. Provided by Seodaemun-gu.

1.4 million cumulative visitors in one and a half years since opening. 30 million cumulative views of videos related to social networking services (SNS) such as TikTok and Instagram. Sales of 2 billion KRW.

This is not about a famous tourist spot or a popular restaurant. Cafe Pokpo (Yeonhui-ro 262-24), located opposite Hongje Waterfall in Seodaemun-gu, has become a tourist attraction frequently visited by local residents as well as domestic and international tourists, setting various records.

The artificial waterfall by Hongjecheon, called ‘Hongje Waterfall,’ was created 13 years ago and has been there since. The waterfall is not small, with a height of 25m and a width of 60m, but it did not attract much attention.

The turnaround began last April when ‘Cafe Pokpo,’ which offers a view of Hongje Waterfall, opened. Seodaemun-gu tore down the waste collection site, snow removal base, and warehouses under the internal circulation road bridge and created a cafe, an outdoor stage, and a public parking lot that also serves as a plaza. A deck two to three stories high was installed in the upper space along Hongjecheon to enjoy the waterfall. Tables and seats were placed at Cafe Pokpo where visitors can enjoy tea and snacks while gazing at the water.

Word of mouth spread through the media and SNS, attracting people to Cafe Pokpo, which is directly operated by the district office. Adding content and stories created a synergy effect. For the convenience of foreign tourists, the ‘Seodaemun Tourist Information Center’ was installed next to Cafe Pokpo, and multilingual interpreters were assigned. Next to Cafe Pokpo, a waterfall bookstore (Areum-in Library) was established. It is equipped with about 2,100 volumes of books and tablets for reading e-books so visitors can relax while reading.

Cafe Waterfall and Hongje Waterfall. Provided by Seodaemun-gu.

Since April this year, young musicians have held regular monthly mini-concerts on the waterside terrace next to Cafe Pokpo, and expert lectures on various topics have been conducted. Last month, the second floor of the cafe was expanded. It was extended into a cultural space to exhibit works by young artists and to allow for art performances.

As the project gained momentum, a rising effect occurred. As sales of Cafe Pokpo, directly operated by the district office, increased, the profits began to be used for scholarships.

In May, Seodaemun-gu selected 60 middle, high school, and university students as ‘Cafe Pokpo Happy Scholarship Students’ and awarded scholarships totaling 100 million KRW. This month, another 60 students will be selected and supported with 100 million KRW. Notably, since March, first-year middle school students have been provided with free online math lecture videos by university student instructors called ‘Seodaemun Search Sam,’ who are included among the scholarship recipients, creating a virtuous cycle.

Lee Seong-heon, mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “With the upcoming winter season, we plan to transform Cafe Pokpo once again by creating a unique greenhouse space,” adding, “We also plan to open second and third branches of Cafe Pokpo near Hongje Station’s Yujin Shopping Center and other locations.”

The view of Hongje Falls as seen from Cafe Falls. Provided by Seodaemun-gu.

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