When talking about animation, you may think of Disney or Japanese animation only. Although Korea started as a sub-contractor for foreign companies and the history of its animation industry is much shorter than that of it western or Japanese counterparts, it has now become a major player in the animation industry, producing many high-quality works which are exported to overseas countries.  Apart from K-pop, K-dramas and K-movies, K-animation is also an important aspect of the Korean culture supported by the Korean government.

I would like to write a series of blog posts on K-animation, including a brief overview of its history, its key features, representative animated works and festivals.  That said, let’s start this K-animation series by introducing a place where you can visit to get some exposure to K-animation – the Seoul Animation Center (서울애니메이션센터).

The Seoul Animation Center is conveniently located near Myeongdong – from Exit 1 of the Myeongdong subway station, make a U-turn and walk up the hill for about 300m. It was established in May 1999 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government for promotion of the Korean cartoon and animation industry.  There are photo zones with many lovely animated characters throughout the center for you to take pictures.  Moreover, there are many experience zones that allow visitors to make various types of character products, e.g., dolls, wallets and toys.  Inside the center, you can also find the AniCinema which has state-of-the-art facilities for screening animated films.  From time to time, the center hosts events and exhibitions related to K-animation.  You can take a quick tour of the Seoul Animation Center by watching this video.

Next time you visit Seoul, don’t forget to visit the Seoul Animation Center to better understand the K-animation.

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References:

Seoul A Fun Vacation for the Whole Family, Seoul Metropolitan Government, December 2016