"Otaku in the corner of the room is an old saying"... Hongdae became a sacred place for "respecting taste."

[Anchor]
In recent years, the streets of Hongik University in Seoul have seen a large number of shops specializing in animation products.

It became known as a specialized street among lovers, and even a "tour map" appeared, and reporter Song Jae-in went to the scene.

[Reporter]
From figures that put characters in cartoons to memorabilia like keychains to new books that you've been waiting for.

It is the world's largest animation product company that first landed in Hongdae, Seoul five years ago, where there is nothing related to animation.

Immediately after expanding the space to its current location in 2021, there was a long queue of "open run" crowds, and three years later, it is still visiting.

[Kim Bo-kyung / Nusang-dong, Seoul: We're students, so we can't come because we don't have much time, but we see each other a lot when we come here and buy a lot of goods.]

[Yoo Soo-min / Songwol-dong, Seoul: I like it, but this friend recommended it, so I came to watch it together.]

Customers who fill the store are mostly young in their teens to 30s, and there is nothing to hide from them that animation consumption is "unusual."

[Jung Tae-soo / Seoul Sindaebang-dong: I think there was a negative view (about animation consumption) in the past, but these days, the barrier seems to have been lowered. I think they're talking comfortably when it comes to looking at them and sharing them.

In addition to large stores, small stores have recently been built in nearby alleys, making the place reborn as an animation, "The Holy Land."

The "Hongdae Otaku Map," which collects stores, is even being shared in the online space.

Opened in Hongdae last year, the animated product store attracts nearly 10,000 customers every weekend.

Jeong Cheong-hak, the store manager who turned from a figure collector to a seller, analyzed that the demand for animation has increased to the extent that similar stores are lined up around it, which was also affected by COVID-19.

[Jung Chung Hak / Hongik University Animation Store Manager: During the COVID-19 period, large-scale figure shops disappeared in the beginning, it's hard to maintain them.... As I can enjoy these kinds of figure and plastic model hobbies at home (for a long time), I think there are more consumers, and as a result, there are more offline stores.]

Hongik University, which has become an animation holy site, is also attracting foreigners' visits, so the "Teojutonggam" shops are also smiling welcome.

One thing I hope is that the culture of "respecting taste" that landed in Hongik University will be maintained for a long time.

[Shin Won-cheol / Anime store employee in Hongdae: Think of it as a video to see, and it'd be nice to look at it comfortably while passing by]

Before I knew it, the animation consumption culture that was nestled in downtown Seoul was full of sincerity about taste.

I'm Song Jaein of YTN.

a photographer; Kim Hyun-mi
Cooperation in coverage; AK Plaza Hongdae branch 'Animate'