Gentrification In Seongsu

• Photographer
  Hyunseok Choi

SeongSu is one of the trendiest areas in South Korea where young people visit, and various brands open pop-up stores. The area was originally well known for its handmade shoes street, once filled with craftsmen. However, about 80 percent of businesses have moved out due to rising rent, leaving only a few behind. Yu Hong-Sik is the first craftsman to be recognized as a master of handmade shoes in Korea and still works in SeongSu, creating handmade shoes with love and pride. He talks about the rising rent and the state of the handmade shoes business in SeongSu.