Seoul Animation Center, from Namsan via Myeongdong and back to Namsan
The Seoul Animation Center was a public facility that opened in 1999 in Yejang-dong on Namsan and supported Korea’s comics and animation industries, but it ended operations across all facilities on March 31, 2024. The former Namsan site is scheduled to become the Seoul Creative Industry Hub in 2027, but it will not reopen as a comics-only facility.
What Stands Here Now, Since March 31, 2024
The Seoul Animation Center ended its operation of the entire first and second floors of Woori Financial Digital Tower at 48 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, on March 31, 2024. The reasons for its closure were rising rent and operating costs, as well as the need to transition to a different type of project.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to restore these functions in 2027, when the Seoul Creative Industry Hub is scheduled for completion at the former site in Yejang-dong, Namsan. However, it is unlikely to take the form of a facility dedicated exclusively to comics and animation as before. Even if you visit this address now, no exhibitions or hands-on programs are operating, so those planning a visit should first check the official website (ani.seoul.kr) or announcements from the Seoul Business Agency.
The Yejang-dong Site, from the Japanese Resident-General's Office to KBS Namsan Relay Station
The site of today's Seoul Creative Industry Hub, namely the former Seoul Animation Center site, was originally occupied by the government building of the Japanese Resident-General during the Korean Empire period. After the Government-General of Korea built a new office inside Gyeongbokgung Palace and moved there, the former building was used as the Eunsha Memorial Science Museum and, after liberation, as the National Science Museum. It was completely destroyed during the Korean War.
After the war, KBS built its headquarters on this site and produced and transmitted radio broadcasts there as the Namsan Relay Station from 1956 to 1976. After the broadcasting functions moved to Yeouido, the building was used by the Ministry of National Unification, the predecessor of the Ministry of Unification, from 1976, and by the Agency for National Security Planning from 1986. When the agency moved to Naegok-dong in 1995, the building and site were transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
May 1999: The Seoul Animation Center Opens on Namsan
The Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to build a dedicated facility to foster the comics, animation, and character industries and opened the Seoul Animation Center in May 1999. The four-story building had a floor area of approximately 1,400 pyeong (4,800㎡) on a site of about 1,800 pyeong (6,000㎡), and included support offices, an information center, a dedicated screening theater, and exhibition rooms.
Operations were managed by the Seoul Industry Promotion Agency, an organization affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and now known as the Seoul Business Agency. It established itself as Korea's only public facility specializing in comics and animation, overseeing year-round exhibitions, animation screenings, comics and animation education programs, and production support. A project to develop an "Ani Town" extending toward Myeong-dong Station was also promoted around the center.
Demolition in 2018 and Temporary Relocation to Myeong-dong in March 2019
Under a plan to redevelop the Namsan area as a content-industry cluster, the old building underwent reconstruction in 2018. The former House of Comics in Yejang-dong operated until July 2018, while the remaining facilities operated until August of that year before closing. In March 2019, the center rented the first and second floors of Woori Financial Digital Tower near Myeong-dong Station and reopened there as a temporary replacement facility.
The lease for this temporary space was originally set to run until March 2022. However, the reconstruction work was temporarily suspended after remains of the former Government-General of Korea building were discovered at the demolished site, and the lease was extended for two years until March 2024. When no further extension was made, the center proceeded to close at that location.
Five Years in Myeong-dong: House of Comics on the First Floor
From 2019 to 2024, the Seoul Animation Center was located at 48 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, about a five-minute walk toward Hoehyeon Intersection from Exit 4 of Myeong-dong Station on Subway Line 4, and it was also accessible on foot from Hoehyeon Station. Of the two floors, with a total exclusive floor area of 1,969㎡ (595 pyeong), the first floor and the mezzanine level were occupied by the comic-book library House of Comics.
House of Comics operated free of charge from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., offering access to approximately 30,000–40,000 comic books and animation materials, from comics of the 1990s to the latest releases. DVDs could be requested and watched in the Small Theater and private video-viewing rooms. Among the collection, Kim Yong-hwan's Rabbits and Monkeys, published in May 1946, was regarded as the oldest surviving comic book in Korea. The book borrowed most frequently by visitors was the Shinbi Apartment series.
Five Years in Myeong-dong: Ani Picnic and the Large Mural on the Second Floor
Ani Picnic on the second floor was a paid hands-on experience space featuring participation from leading Korean character companies. It operated from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and charged an admission fee of 4,000 won for adults and 6,000 won for children. It consisted of nine experience zones, including Pororo digital drawing, a motion-sensing flight experience with Super Wings, making your own stop-motion animation, a VR experience, and Tayo carts. Families with young children were its main visitors.
A large mural on the exterior wall measured 30 meters wide and 40 meters high, reaching the height of a 10-story building, and was considered one of the largest murals in Seoul. Children under eight had to be accompanied by a guardian, and visitors with a same-day ticket could re-enter after receiving a verification sticker. Paid parking was available in the building.
Background to the March 2024 Closure Decision
According to the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), the facility's operating budget during its Myeong-dong period continued to rise, reaching 2.5–3 billion won annually. The decision to end operations came as criticism that running a space focused mainly on hands-on experiences was wasteful of the budget coincided with the need to shift projects to improve the competitiveness of Korea's content industry. Media reports also identified the budget burden caused by rising costs, including rent, as the main reason for the closure.
The Seoul Animation Center was visited by 360,000 people annually. Following the closure announcement, users—particularly comics enthusiasts and families with young children—expressed opposition. Members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council also called for alternatives to the loss of a space for infants, young children, and caregivers.
About 40,000 Comic Books: What Happened Afterward
At the time of closure, House of Comics held approximately 40,000 items. Of these, only about 4,000–5,000 important books are scheduled to be moved to the Cartoon Library at the Seoul Creative Industry Hub, which is to open near Namsan in 2027. Since the facility will not be operated as a space dedicated exclusively to Korean comics, it is unlikely to remain in the form of an independent comic-book library like before.
The remaining approximately 20,000 books are scheduled to be donated to youth-related facilities in Seoul or distributed and sold to the public through events such as flea markets. The character experience facilities and sculptures from Ani Picnic were also reportedly dismantled separately.
Seoul Creative Industry Hub in 2027: A Control Tower with Animation Excluded
The Seoul Creative Industry Hub, with four basement levels, three above-ground floors, and a total floor area of 16,127㎡, began construction on the former Seoul Animation Center site in October 2023 and is being built with the goal of opening in 2027. The facility was designed to serve as a control tower overseeing the creative-industry infrastructure being developed throughout Seoul, including Namsan, Sangam, Mok-dong, and Chungmuro.
The five core fields that the Seoul Metropolitan Government has chosen to foster intensively are webtoons, games, video, media, and extended reality (XR); animation is not included. The former Namsan headquarters was completely demolished after the Seoul Animation Center moved to Myeong-dong in 2019, and redevelopment has been underway since 2023.
Traces That Remain: Jaemiro Comic Street in Myeong-dong
Jaemiro, developed around the Seoul Animation Center, is a thematic street approximately 450 meters long, extending from Exit 3 of Myeong-dong Station to the former Seoul Animation Center site and decorated with Korean comics, animation, character, and illustration content. A deteriorated uphill alley was transformed into a street gallery and received the name "Jaemiro" in December 2013.
On the Namsan retaining wall at the far end of the street, Manhwa Hill was created with characters from 40 works among the 100 best Korean comics, including Horror Foreign Legion, Gourmet, Pure Love Comics, and The Kingdom of the Winds. However, this street was also part of the content cluster developed on the premise that the Seoul Animation Center would be there, so its management and operating condition after the center's closure should be checked with the latest information.
Things to Know If You Are Planning a Visit
In conclusion, as of August 2026, the Seoul Animation Center cannot be visited at either the former Namsan site (around 126 Sopa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, the Seoul Creative Industry Hub construction site) or the temporary Myeong-dong location (48 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul). Operations will resume no earlier than 2027, and the format may also change into an industry-support facility focused on webtoons, games, video, media, and XR. Therefore, it would be difficult to expect the free comic-book library or children's character experience center that existed before.
Based on transportation during its former Myeong-dong operation, the center was about a five-minute walk from Exit 4 of Myeong-dong Station on Subway Line 4, and Hoehyeon Station was also within walking distance. As there was no dedicated parking lot, public transportation was recommended. News of a reopening is expected to be announced by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) and on the official website, ani.seoul.kr. If you plan to visit the Myeong-dong or Namsan area, checking the website announcements in advance is the best way to avoid a wasted trip.
Before You Go
- Address
- (Closed) 48 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul — temporary operating site from 2019 to 2024 / Original site: 126 Sopa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Yejang-dong (planned site of the Seoul Creative Industry Hub in 2027)
- Hours
- The entire facility has been closed since March 31, 2024. Whether it will reopen and in what form when the Seoul Creative Industry Hub opens in 2027 has not been decided.
- Closed
- The entire facility is closed from April 1, 2024, until its reopening.
- Admission
- Not currently applicable (closed). Before closure: House of Comics was free; Ani Picnic cost 4,000 won for adults and 6,000 won for children.
- Phone
- 02-3455-8341~8342 (main contact numbers before closure)
- Official site
- https://www.ani.seoul.kr/
- Transport
- (Before closure) About a five-minute walk from Exit 4 of Myeong-dong Station on Subway Line 4; also accessible on foot from Hoehyeon Station.
- Parking
- (Before closure) No dedicated parking lot; paid parking was available in the building and at nearby paid parking lots.
- Time needed
- Currently unavailable for visits (entire facility closed)
- Accessibility
- The latest information is unavailable because the facility is closed.
The information above is based on the time of writing. Check the official notices again before visiting.
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