1.4 million cumulative visitors in a year and a half. 30 million cumulative views on social media videos, including TikTok and Instagram. 2 billion KRW in sales revenue.

This is not about a famous tourist restaurant. Cafe Pokpo (262-24 Yeonhui-ro), located across from Hongje Pokpo in Seodaemun-gu, is rewriting records as it transforms into a popular tourist destination, attracting not only local residents but also domestic and international tourists.

The artificial waterfall, Hongje Pokpo, along the Hongjecheon Stream, was built 13 years ago and has remained in place ever since. The waterfall is 25 meters high and 60 meters wide, making it quite large, but it did not receive much attention in the past.

The turning point came in April last year when Cafe Pokpo, offering a view of Hongje Pokpo, opened its doors. Seodaemun-gu demolished the waste collection site, snow removal base, and storage facilities under the internal ring road bridge and created a cafe, outdoor stage, and a public parking lot that doubles as a plaza. On the upper space along the Hongjecheon Stream, decks two to three stories high were installed for viewing the waterfall. Tables and seats were arranged so visitors could enjoy tea and snacks while relaxing to the sound of water at Cafe Pokpo.

As word spread through the media and social networks, people flocked to Cafe Pokpo, which is directly operated by the district office. Adding content and stories created a synergistic effect. For the convenience of foreign tourists, the "Seodaemun Tourist Information Center" was set up next to Cafe Pokpo, and multilingual interpreters were stationed there. Next to the cafe, a waterfall-themed bookstore (Areumin Library) was established, providing over 2,100 books and tablets for reading e-books so visitors could relax and read.

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Since April this year, young musicians have been holding regular mini-concerts every month on the riverside terrace next to Cafe Pokpo, and experts have been giving lectures on a variety of topics. Last month, the second floor of the cafe was expanded. It now serves as a cultural space for exhibiting works by young artists and hosting art performances.

As the project continued, the ripple effect grew. With the increase in sales at the directly operated Cafe Pokpo, the profits have been used for scholarships.

Seodaemun-gu selected 60 middle school, high school, and university students as "Cafe Pokpo Happiness Scholars" in May and awarded them a total of 100 million KRW in scholarships. Another 60 students will be selected and awarded 100 million KRW this month. Notably, since March, the district has included "Seodaemun Searchsaem," a group of university student instructors who provide free online math lectures to first-year middle school students, as scholarship recipients, creating a virtuous cycle.

Seongheon Lee, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, "As winter approaches, we plan to transform Cafe Pokpo once again by creating a unique greenhouse space," adding, "We also plan to open second and third Cafe Pokpo locations near Hongje Station and Yujin Shopping Center, among other places."