[INTERVIEW] Every space has a story: Urbanplay connects people with local culture

Urbanplay CEO Hong Joo-seok says the company designs the content and experiences of physical spaces to connect brands and local creators with audiences. Founded in 2013, Urbanplay develops concepts and business plans and oversees operations, working with architectural and construction firms on design and construction. Its projects include neighborhood venues and the Seoul Design Road, which connected 150 destinations across five areas during the 2026 Seoul Design Week. Hong also sees opportunities to bring Korean local brands and creators to overseas markets.

Urbanplay has developed its Urbanplay OS using 13 years of accumulated data to anticipate changes in offline environments, recommend content and simulate space planning and operations.

Yeonnam Bangagan showcases local brands, artists and seasonal products, while Yeonnamjang hosts performances, lectures and other cultural events.

Urbanplay’s FYI lounge in Yeoksam-dong combines a cafe with books and stationery selected for people working in the startup industry.

Hong said Urbanplay began using the term local creators around 2015 for entrepreneurs who build brands and content around their own intellectual property.

Urbanplay has run incubation programs with public institutions including the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Published Nov 4, 2026 7:00 am KST

CEO sees company as city's operating system, shaping places through content, experiences

Hong Joo-seok, CEO of Urbanplay, poses during an interview with The Korea Times at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Oct. 21. Courtesy of Urbanplay

This is the third in a series of interviews with the heads of promising startups that are pioneers of their respective fields and seek to go public in the near future.

In Korea, cafes are no longer just places to grab a cup of coffee.

They are increasingly becoming cultural venues where visitors can discover local brands, browse curated products and exhibitions and sample menus developed in collaboration with local businesses.

The shift extends beyond cafes, with retail spaces doubling as venues for exhibitions, performances and pop-up events.

For Urbanplay CEO Hong Joo-seok, every space has a story of its own. He believes the value of a physical space lies not simply in its design, but in the experiences it offers and the stories it tells visitors.

"It is important to carefully plan what kind of content visitors will experience and what services can keep them connected to a brand even after the experience ends," Hong said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

"We are not a company that simply designs the physical structure of a space. We plan the content inside it and design the user experience," he added.

Founded in 2013, Urbanplay connects brands and local creators with audiences through physical spaces. Rather than designing buildings or interiors itself, the company develops the concepts and content for each space and oversees its business planning and operations. It also works with architectural firms and construction companies on detailed designs and construction.

Hong likened Urbanplay's role to that of an operating system for a city. He said the company has developed its own Urbanplay OS, drawing on 13 years of accumulated data.

"Through this system, we can anticipate changes in the offline environment, recommend content suited to our partners and simulate how spaces can be planned and operated," he said.

The company's projects range from neighborhood cultural venues to corporate spaces and large-scale exhibitions.

For example, Yeonnam Bangagan, a cafe and curated lifestyle store with locations near Seoul Station and at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, showcases local brands, artists and seasonal products.

Yeonnamjang in Seoul's Yeonhui-dong neighborhood / Courtesy of Urbanplay

Yeonnamjang, located in Seoul's Yeonhui-dong neighborhood, focuses on performances, lectures and other cultural events. Its FYI lounge in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam District, combines a cafe with a curated selection of books and stationery aimed at people working in the startup industry.

Hong's idea is to give people a reason to visit a place beyond the products it sells.

The company applied this approach to the 2026 Seoul Design Week, held from Oct. 14 to 25, by connecting 150 design destinations across five areas through the Seoul Design Road: Dongdaemun, Seongsu, Yeonhui, Seochon and Apgujeong.

Rather than simply listing design-related venues across the city, the routes connected places where visitors can encounter products, crafts, studios and exhibitions within distinct neighborhoods, the CEO said.

The company has also sought to connect individual creators and businesses with broader neighborhood experiences. Through local projects in Seoul and other cities, including Busan and Gwangju, it brings together shops, artists and cultural programs to give visitors more reasons to explore an area.

Urbanplay also works to nurture small businesses, which Hong refers to as "local creators" rather than simply small-business owners.

The company helps them develop their own brands and content, sometimes through incubation programs run in partnership with public institutions such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

"We began using the term 'local creators' around 2015," Hong said. "It refers to entrepreneurs who build their own brands and content and can grow their businesses around their own intellectual property."

"Small businesses generally operate on a self-employment model, so scaling up is structurally difficult. But we believe that businesses with strong intellectual property, creativity and compelling stories have the potential to grow into bigger brands."

Hong cited Sungsimdang, the Daejeon bakery that has become a tourist attraction in its own right, as an example of a local brand’s power to draw visitors.

Beyond helping local businesses attract visitors, Urbanplay also seeks to introduce international audiences to Korea's regional culture and identity.

Hong cited Seochon, near Gyeongbokgung Palace, as an example of a neighborhood that offers a glimpse into different layers of Korean culture, where traditional architecture and cultural heritage coexist with contemporary brands.

Urbanplay put this vision into practice last October with "Edition Seochon," a five-day local art fair that brought together young artists, shops and brands across the neighborhood.

The event turned streets and neighborhood venues into spaces for exhibitions, pop-ups and cultural programs, with the aim of developing Seochon into a globally recognized cultural district.

Looking beyond Korea, Hong sees opportunities to bring Korean local brands and creators to overseas markets. He said Urbanplay could serve as a bridge, connecting them with potential partners abroad.

"We receive a lot of proposals, particularly from Southeast Asia, where there is growing demand for urban development projects that incorporate Korean culture," Hong said. "Since we have a pool of business owners in food and beverage, lifestyle, design and culture, we will be able to bring various brands together and create exhibition spaces."

Urbanplay is also exploring opportunities in Europe, where interest in Korean culture is extending beyond entertainment and popular culture. Hong said the company had held several meetings with potential partners in the region, where Korean wellness, food, crafts and visual arts have attracted attention.

"Even in countries such as Switzerland, there is considerable interest in Korean wellness culture. Along with interest in the Buddhist culture, they are interested in Korean food made with healthy ingredients, particularly temple cuisine," Hong said.

Urbanplay首席执行官洪柱锡表示，公司致力于设计实体空间的内容和体验，旨在连接品牌和本土创作者与受众。Urbanplay成立于2013年，负责概念开发、商业计划制定和运营管理，并与建筑和施工公司合作进行设计和施工。其项目包括社区活动场所和首尔设计之路（Seoul Design Road），后者在2026年首尔设计周期间连接了五个区域的150个目的地。洪柱锡还看到了将韩国本土品牌和创作者推向海外市场的机遇。

Urbanplay 利用 13 年积累的数据开发了 Urbanplay OS，以预测离线环境的变化，推荐内容并模拟空间规划和运营。

Yeonnam Bangagan 展示当地品牌、艺术家和时令产品，而 Yeonnamjang 则举办表演、讲座和其他文化活动。

Urbanplay 在驿三洞开设的 FYI 休息室将咖啡馆与专为创业行业从业人员挑选的书籍和文具相结合。

Hong表示，Urbanplay从2015年左右开始使用“本地创作者”一词，指的是那些围绕自己的知识产权打造品牌和内容的企业家。

Urbanplay 曾与首尔市政府和中小企业及创业部等公共机构合作开展孵化项目。

发布于2026年11月4日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

首席执行官将公司视为城市的操作系统，通过内容和体验塑造城市。

10月21日，Urbanplay首席执行官洪柱锡在首尔东大门设计广场接受《韩国时报》采访时摆姿势拍照。图片由Urbanplay提供。

这是对一些有前途的创业公司负责人进行的一系列采访中的第三篇，这些创业公司都是各自领域的先驱，并计划在不久的将来上市。

在韩国，咖啡馆不再只是喝杯咖啡的地方。

它们正日益成为文化场所，游客可以在这里发现当地品牌，浏览精心挑选的产品和展览，并品尝与当地企业合作开发的菜单。

这种转变不仅限于咖啡馆，零售空间也兼作展览、表演和快闪活动的场所。

Urbanplay CEO洪柱锡认为，每个空间都有其独特的故事。他相信，实体空间的价值不仅在于其设计，更在于它所提供的体验以及它向访客讲述的故事。

“仔细规划访客将体验到的内容类型，以及在体验结束后能够让他们与品牌保持联系的服务，这一点非常重要，”洪在最近接受《韩国时报》采访时表示。

“我们不仅仅是一家设计空间物理结构的公司。我们还会规划空间内部的内容，并设计用户体验，”他补充道。

Urbanplay成立于2013年，致力于通过实体空间连接品牌和本地创作者与受众。该公司本身并不设计建筑或室内设计，而是为每个空间开发概念和内容，并负责其商业规划和运营。此外，Urbanplay还与建筑事务所和建筑公司合作，进行详细的设计和施工。

洪先生将Urbanplay比作城市的操作系统。他表示，公司利用13年积累的数据，开发了自己的Urbanplay操作系统。

他说：“通过这套系统，我们可以预测线下环境的变化，推荐适合合作伙伴的内容，并模拟空间的规划和运营方式。”

该公司的项目涵盖社区文化场所、企业空间和大型展览等各个领域。

例如，位于首尔站附近和东大门设计广场的 Yeonnam Bangagan 是一家集咖啡馆和精选生活方式商店于一体的店铺，主要展示当地品牌、艺术家和时令产品。

首尔延熙洞的延南庄 / 图片由 Urbanplay 提供

位于首尔延熙洞的延南庄主要举办演出、讲座和其他文化活动。其位于江南区驿三洞的FYI休息室则将咖啡馆与精选书籍和文具相结合，面向创业行业从业人员。

洪的想法是，除了销售产品之外，还要给人们一个到访某个地方的理由。

该公司将此方法应用于 2026 年 10 月 14 日至 25 日举行的首尔设计周，通过首尔设计之路将五个区域的 150 个设计目的地连接起来：东大门、圣水、延禧、西村和狎鸥亭。

首席执行官表示，这些路线并非简单地列出全市与设计相关的场所，而是将游客可以在不同街区内接触到产品、工艺品、工作室和展览的地方连接起来。

该公司还致力于将个体创作者和企业与更广泛的社区体验联系起来。通过在首尔以及釜山、光州等其他城市开展的本地项目，它将商店、艺术家和文化活动汇集在一起​​，为游客提供更多探索该地区的理由。

Urbanplay 也致力于扶持小型企业，Hong 将这些企业称为“本地创造者”，而不仅仅是小型企业主。

该公司帮助他们发展自己的品牌和内容，有时是通过与首尔市政府和中小企业和创业部等公共机构合作开展的孵化计划。

洪表示：“我们大约在2015年开始使用‘本土创作者’这个词。它指的是那些打造自己的品牌和内容，并能围绕自身知识产权发展业务的企业家。”

“小型企业通常采用自雇模式，因此在结构上难以扩大规模。但我们相信，拥有强大的知识产权、创造力和引人入胜的故事的企业有潜力发展成为更大的品牌。”

洪以大田面包店圣心堂为例，说明当地品牌具有吸引游客的力量。圣心堂本身已成为一个旅游景点。

除了帮助当地企业吸引游客外，Urbanplay 还致力于向国际观众介绍韩国的地区文化和特色。

洪以景福宫附近的西村为例，说明该街区如何展现韩国文化的不同层面，传统建筑和文化遗产与当代品牌并存。

Urbanplay 于去年十月将这一愿景付诸实践，举办了为期五天的“Edition Seochon”当地艺术博览会，将该地区的年轻艺术家、商店和品牌聚集在一起。

该活动将街道和社区场所变成了展览、快闪店和文化活动的场所，目的是将西村发展成为全球知名的文化区。

放眼韩国以外，洪先生看到了将韩国本土品牌和创作者推向海外市场的机遇。他表示，Urbanplay 可以成为一座桥梁，将他们与海外潜在合作伙伴联系起来。

洪先生表示：“我们收到了很多提案，尤其来自东南亚，那里对融入韩国文化的城市发展项目需求日益增长。由于我们拥有食品饮料、生活方式、设计和文化等领域的众多企业主，我们将能够把各种品牌聚集在一起，打造展览空间。”

Urbanplay也在积极探索欧洲市场，因为欧洲对韩国文化的兴趣已超越娱乐和流行文化范畴。洪先生表示，公司已与该地区的潜在合作伙伴举行了多次会谈，韩国的健康养生、美食、手工艺品和视觉艺术都备受关注。

“即使在瑞士这样的国家，人们对韩国养生文化也表现出浓厚的兴趣。除了对佛教文化感兴趣之外，他们也对用健康食材制作的韩国料理，特别是寺庙料理很感兴趣，”洪说道。