Did someone say that all roads in Busan lead to Seomyeon? We don’t know exactly when but people started to think of Haeundae as the place that represents Busan. However, Seomyeon is still the center of Busan for locals. KT&G Sangsang Madang has opened recently as a new travel destination in Busan.

KT&G Sangsang Madang Busan

KT&G Sangsang Madang, which started out as an online cultural community in 2005, opened a series of cultural complexes in Hongdae in 2007, Nonsan in 2011 and Chuncheon in 2014. Then in September 2020, Sangsang Madang Busan opened in Seomyeon, the largest downtown area in Busan.

The complex has 13 floors above ground and 5 underground with a total floor area spanning some 20,000 square meters, the largest among all Sangsang Madang facilities in Korea. Sangsang Madang Busan houses various cultural experience facilities such as a concert hall and gallery, a design shop, cafe, creation space for single-person creators, and accommodation facilities. It is literally a cultural complex where both artists and the public can enjoy culture, relaxation and communicate with one another.

1F_LOUNGE

The first floor consists of a lounge. The lounge is an open space where anyone can come and relax. The open ceiling to the fourth floor provides a tremendous sense of openness. This area occasionally serves as a plaza where flea markets and exhibitions are held.

Cafe “SAPOON SAPOON” run by CheongKwanJang is located on one side of the lounge. “SAPOON SAPOON” is a compound word that comes from SAPONIN, a key ingredient in red ginseng, and SPOON, which is a tool that delivers the taste and nutrition of food. It also means “sappun sappun” in pure Korean, which depicts the appearance of someone gently walking lightly. The cafe offers a variety of beverages that consider both taste and health, such as coffee using limited-produced Micro Lot beans and “Ginsengccino” containing six-year-old red ginseng. If you order a drink from the tabletop terminal, you can have the amazing experience of a robot serving you coffee.

Behind the cafe lies PLAYING ROOM. In addition to “Swing Lounge” where you can listen to music with LP records as well as “Sangsang Hondok," a small reading room where you can sit alone and read books, there are several other rooms that can be used as a meeting room, conference room and study room. The conference room can be rent for KRW 15,000 for 2 hours if you make a reservation in advance. Please call +82-70-8893-3091 to make a reservation.

2F_DESIGN SQUARE

If you follow the stairs in the middle of the lounge, you will find Design Square located on the second floor. This square is a shopping space where you can see various design products made by artists working in Busan. It is like a cultural map where you can see Busan’s rising artists and brands at a glance. There are so many products on sale here ranging from travel souvenirs to daily goods that an hour quickly flies by just looking around Design Square.

PADOBLE, which is located within Design Square, is a space for shoe brands in Busan. This select shoe shop introduces Busan’s local shoe brands, reminding us again that Busan was once the center of the Korean shoe industry. It is quite interesting to see shoes of various types and designs, including not only running shoes but also leather shoes, sneakers, and baby shoes. In “PADOBLE Custom Shoes Lab,” you can also experience making your own one-of-a-kind shoes on the spot.

3F_LIVE HALL

The third floor consists of a Live Hall. Being connected to the fourth floor, this space is quite spacious and high. It is a place where you can regularly see various performances in a more cozy setting than in Seoul. The hall has a total of 217 seats, and can accommodate up to 500 people for standing performances. In addition to performances, it also runs a support program to discover local musicians and help develop their capabilities.

The space in front of the Live Hall is called the “Do It Zone.” There is a sturdy desk where you can sit and do anything, and a bookshelf full of books you can take out and read at any moment. That is another reason to stop by Sangsang Madang Busan even if there is nothing special happening at the moment.

4F_GALLERY / 5F_Sangsang Class

The fourth floor consists of the Gallery. The Gallery is a multi-story space that uses part of the fifth floor and presents various exhibitions and external collaboration exhibitions as well as exhibitions that support local artists. The Gallery appeals to many since there are new exhibitions held each month and operates without holidays. Another unique feature is its photo darkroom that is hard to find these days. You can develop and print black-and-white film directly and also receive photography-related education.

Sangsang Class located on the 5th floor runs special culture and arts education programs prepared by Sangsang Madang. Experts in various fields including music, video, art, and photography directly serve as instructors to deliver various cultural knowledge. The Creator Studio in Sangsang Class is equipped with studios, editing rooms, and equipment for single creators and provides free support. It is a space where anyone interested in producing YouTube videos or video contents can open their eyes wide.

7F_STAY / 13_ROOFTOP

The 7th floor houses an accommodation space. This space is gaining popularity on Social Network Services these days with its interior that expresses symbols of Busan such as fish cakes, shoes, and seagulls in a humorous way. There are 24 rooms in total. 10 are private rooms, and the remaining 14 are shared rooms in the form of guest houses. The lobby has an open kitchen and a business center along with a rest area.

The 13rd floor, the rooftop of the building, is decorated with a garden. Various activities such as small talk shows and film festivals are possible with a cool panoramic view of the Seomyeon area. From the first floor to the rooftop. Sangsang Madang Busan, full of fun and pleasant experiences. This complex is expected to perform more in the future as a space where the public communicates with local culture.