The Apple Store opens in Hongdae on January 20th. This is the 7th Apple Store in Korea and the 100th Apple Store in Asia. Apple explained that it was a tribute to the streets of Hongdae, the center of youth culture.

In collaboration with local artists in Hongdae, we expressed Apple's apple symbol with the word 'Hongdae' in the form of graffiti. The spray's unique dripping effect makes it look as if it has just been sprayed on a black wall. The freely moving shapes and colorful neon colors are typical of Hongdae.

We collaborated with famous DJ Soulscape from Hongdae to compose the soundtrack included in the logo video. To commemorate the opening of Hongdae, we also shared a playlist, app, and video suitable for Hongdae. However, I feel it is a bit disappointing. Is it personalized or is it Office BGM and Pure Motivation... ? I think the video about Messi and the king of spy novels is also out of the blue. However, the Hongdae playlist provided separately by Apple Music will have you nodding your head as you scroll down.

This Apple Store occupies the first floor of a tall building. It is expected to be exposed to the outside like the existing branches in Garosu-gil, the first branch in 2018, Myeong-dong, the third branch in 2022, and Gangnam, the fifth branch in 2023. I am curious about what kind of stories Apple will tell in Hongdae in the future, as it holds many events suited to the region while maintaining Apple's unique interior design grammar.

More and Sources

• https://www.apple.com/kr/retail/hongdae/
• Apple Music Playlist – ‘Apple Hongdae’