Entire building sold

The independent bookstore ‘Chaekbang Oneul’, where author Han Kang serves as an inside director, will close on the 7th. It comes eight years after it first opened in 2018.

According to reporting by the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Chaekbang Oneul will end operations as of today. Chaekbang Oneul’s representative, when asked about the reason for the closure, said, “We will be open only until today,” and refrained from further comment. Through Instagram, Chaekbang Oneul shared, “We rented and refurbished a space of just about 10 pyeong, turned on the lights, brought in books to meet customers, introduced a ‘Writer’s Bookshelf’ each season, and held readings and workshopsit was a meaningful time to be able to be with good people.” They also said, “Since the bookstore first opened in September 2018, it is exactly at the eight-year mark that we have, for now, paused the bookstore’s journey,” and, “The timing and location for reopening have not yet been decided.”

The closure appears to be because the building has been sold. According to transaction records on the real estate platform ‘Disco’, the building was sold on May 19 for $2,625,000 (3,500,000,000 KRW). Mr. A, the manager of a building near Chaekbang Oneul, said, “The entire building has been sold,” adding, “Other shops are also scheduled to leave.” Mr. A said, “Author Han Kang did not come often, but she did drop by from time to time,” and, “It is a shame that a space for communicating and meeting with readers seems to be disappearing.”

Shopkeepers in the area said that after Han won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the neighborhood gained fame and real estate prices rose. Mr. A said, “From the day she won the Nobel, vehicles from various media outlets came and camped out, and people kept coming,” adding, “As more tourists have visited, the street has become a hot spot, which likely contributed.” He added, “The new owner seems to plan to build a new building after buying it. So the existing tenants will inevitably have to do that (leave), right?”

Another building manager, Mr. B, also said, “It seems it was sold because the place has become well-known,” and, “As the price of the building has surged, those who were there are leaving.” He said, “The author would drop by from time to time, so we could see her, which is a shame,” and, “Just having Han Kang’s bookstore nearby gave us a bit of pride for no special reason, but now it seems some random person will move in.”

Chaekbang Oneul opened in September 2018 near Seocho-gu, Seoul, and relocated to its current site in 2023. According to the publishing industry, in its early days Han personally selected books to display and planned various programs, showing deep affection for the bookstore. In a 2016 interview with the UK’s Financial Times, when asked what she would do to make a living if she had to give up writing, she replied, “I would like to open a small independent bookstore.” In 2024, Han became the first Korean to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.