A Musical Journey Through Dobong-gu
A Musical Journey Through Dobong-gu
Changdong, in Dobong-gu, has been expanding its cultural and arts infrastructure centered around the Seoul Museum of Photography, which opened last year, and the Seoul Arena, slated for completion in 2027. OPCD (Open Changdong), a platform supporting creative work by musicians, is part of this growth. From the manager of ‘OPCD Vinyl,’ an LP listening lounge, to a staff member from Dobong-gu’s Youth Future Division running various projects at OPCD, to the operator of GIG, a small live music café, we explore the changes happening in Changdong through the lens of music.
* This interview was conducted as part of ‘Planning and Producing Sustainable Travel Content,’ a project carried out by students in the Spring 2026 ESG Sustainable Marketing course at Duksung Women’s University.
Interviews conducted & compiled by Kwon Kyeongyeon, Jeon Solbi, Jeon Jinan, Lee Seungjin, Lee Heeju
A New Way to Encounter Music in Changdong
Interview with the OPCD Vinyl Manager
Your Instagram content really stood out to us. It has a stylish feel even though this is a public, government-run space.
We take photos of visitors’ backs as they listen to LPs, and record the album cover and artist along with them. It started as simple documentation, but now people actually come to visit after seeing those posts. Since Instagram’s music feature is linked in, viewers can listen to the music while looking at the content, so it’s being used in a variety of ways. We felt that having ‘content people can see,’ rather than just operating the space quietly, was more meaningful.
We’re curious about how you curate the LP collection. What criteria do you use when bringing in records?
We keep a wide range of genres overall, but lately we’ve been increasing the share of newer releases. Since a lot of our visitors are in their twenties, records by artists like Playboi Carti or Bad Bunny — music that’s widely listened to right now — tend to get an immediate reaction. People go, “Oh, they have this one!” We think it’s important to see that kind of response.
So would you say your core target audience when bringing in LPs is people in their twenties and thirties?
Yes, that’s right. People who already know a lot about music tend to look for what they’ve already heard, while people in their twenties tend to be more inclined to discover something new — so naturally, we’ve shaped how we run the space around that. On top of that, we intentionally mix mainstream records with more exploratory ones. Radiohead, for example, isn’t exactly mainstream, but they’re being rediscovered a lot by people in their twenties these days. So we try to reflect that kind of trend too.
We’re also curious about your visitors. What kind of people tend to come here?
More than you’d expect are using a turntable for the very first time. So we have to walk them through everything step by step, and since it’s a manual turntable, it takes a bit of time to get used to it. In that sense, this space is really more about the ‘experience.’ A lot of people who don’t have a turntable at home come here, and sometimes people who own LPs but have no way to play them at home come to listen here instead. So we actively encourage people to bring their own records to listen to.
What do you think is the appeal of LPs that streaming just can’t offer?
People often bring up sound quality, but that’s pretty subjective, so it’s hard to say definitively. Instead, I’d say LPs are clearly different in ‘volume’ and ‘density.’ There’s more sound pressure through the speakers, and it feels fuller. Simply put, it’s closer to a ‘denser way of listening to music.’ That’s exactly why we chose manual turntables despite the inconvenience — the sound quality is better, and the price point is reasonable. We wanted to raise the quality of the listening experience.
What do you think is this space’s biggest strength?
We’ve narrowed the curation so that pretty much anything you pick will give you a decent experience. So I think it’s a space where you can casually try something with the mindset of, “Why not give this a listen too?” If you want to enjoy this place to the fullest, familiar music is great, but I’d also recommend just pulling out a record you don’t know and giving it a spin. Stumbling upon a great piece of music by chance is, I think, the best way to enjoy this space.
What does ‘Changdong’ mean to OPCD Vinyl?
It’s still a space that needs more filling in, but we hope it becomes a place where young people can intuitively experience music and discover new tastes.
New Possibilities Discovered Onstage
Interview with a Staff Member of Dobong-gu Office’s Youth Future Division
What was the concept behind organizing the OPCD Stage: Discovery festival?
OPCD Stage: Discovery was planned around the theme of ‘discovery’ — capturing both the process of artists finding their own musical identity and the experience of audiences encountering new music.
Why did the Dobong-gu Office’s Youth Future Division decide to organize a music festival?
There were largely two directions behind it. One was creating a stage where musicians could show their work to local residents. The other was to lower the high barrier to entry that exists in music scenes concentrated in areas like Gangnam or Hongdae, and to build new culture and content here in Changdong instead.
How does OPCD Ieum Studio support creators?
Our support isn’t limited to music production — it extends to video production as well. We recruited creators who could make content that connects with music, and the video production program, which launched in 2025, is currently wrapping up its first cohort.
What do you consider most important in running this kind of project in Changdong?
What matters most to us is our relationship with the participating musicians. Our goal goes beyond simple support — we want to build mutual trust and become partners who can plan the following year together. We believe the project becomes sustainable once that kind of relationship is formed.
What does Changdong mean to OPCD Studio?
It’s a cultural hub for the northeastern part of Seoul.
Jazz Performances Right Outside Your Door
Interview with the Operator of GIG
How do you select and book the artists who perform at GIG?
At first, I had musician friends around me, so I reached out to them directly to book them. From there, I got introduced to friends of friends, and the pool of artists naturally grew. Later on, people started reaching out to me first through Instagram DMs, and in May, we’re planning to book some well-known names from the blues scene.
Do you have any performances planned for this month?
Right now, we’re recruiting so that visually impaired guests can take part in performances too. It started from the idea that the experience of a live show should be equally available to everyone, and if the response is good, we’d like to turn it into a regular program.
Are you connected with local musicians or the local community? If so, how did that connection begin?
Regionally, I keep in touch with musicians within Dobong-gu. There’s a community that gathers around a bar in Banghak-dong, and I naturally connected with musicians there, and that relationship has continued ever since.
There’s talk that Changdong lacks cultural spaces for young people. As the operator of a venue on the ground, do you sense any ‘local hip’ unique to Changdong?
I don’t think a distinct ‘local hip’ has really taken shape in Changdong yet. But I’m hopeful that once Seoul Arena is completed, that kind of momentum will start to build. It would be great if that led to connections where famous artists who perform large shows at the arena also go on to hold smaller shows at venues like Gig.
What does Changdong mean to Gig?
My second hometown.