[Edaily Reporter Han Jeon-jin ] As I passed through the subway turnstile marked with a “85th Street Central Park” sign, my eyes were drawn to the graffiti covering the walls and train cars. Walking through the dimly lit platform, a yellow taxi appeared between the red-brick buildings. The car was filled with gifts, and a cat was perched on the roof. From the rooftop water tank and steel emergency staircase to the string of miniature lights strung across the alley—Sounds Forest, the indoor garden on the 5th floor of The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, which I visited on the morning of the 9th, had been transformed into a New York street in the run-up to Christmas.

◇ Bookings Sold Out in 30 Minutes… “1980s–1990s New York” Crafted Over a Year

HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD(069960)On the 10th, The Hyundai Seoul will unveil its Christmas village, “H Village.” This year’s theme is “Christmas in New York City.” Set against the backdrop of 1980s and 1990s New York, the story follows “Harry,” a baby bear who struggles to deliver gifts because the lights never go out at night—until the alley cats come to his rescue. Thirteen red-brick buildings, reaching up to 10 meters in height, were erected, with shops and street fixtures filling the spaces between them. The layout is designed so that visitors don’t just view the decorations from a distance but can step into the alleys to follow the story.

On one side of the street, white steam rose just like in a movie set in New York. One-way signs and traffic lights stood at the street corners, and neon signs for jazz clubs and record shops lit up on every building. Christmas music, including Mariah Carey’s carols, played continuously, adding to the festive end-of-year atmosphere. Jeong Min-kyu, lead designer of the VMD team at HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD, explained, “We wanted to express the diversity inherent in the city of New York,” adding, “We also aimed to capture the diverse culture of the 1980s and 1990s through music, ranging from carols to hip-hop and jazz.”

It took about a year from planning to completion to recreate the street scene, with the actual production taking about a month. The attention to detail was key to enhancing the immersive experience. They used Coca-Cola brought in from the U.S. as props and arranged not only pizza boxes but also paper that looked like it had been left behind after eating pizza. Even the cat sculptures were meticulously sculpted, right down to the shape of their eyes, to bring their expressions to life. Lead Designer Jeong said, “We pondered how we could make it feel just like a real Christmas in New York,” adding, “We even paid attention to the font used in the fictional newspaper.”

The newspaper stand is a great spot to examine these details. A fictional newspaper titled “Santa Is Real” is tucked among actual English-language newspapers. The specially produced December 25, 1985, edition tells the story of this Christmas in the form of news articles. 1985 was the year HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD opened its Apgujeong Main Store. The taxi license plate was engraved with “HDS-1985,” and the opening dates of major stores were hidden within the phone numbers on the signs. About 40 cats scattered throughout the village symbolize employees delivering gifts to customers.

◇Lotte and Shinsegae Co.,Ltd Join the Fray… The “Christmas Battle” to Win Over Customers at Year-End

Once inside the building, the experience continues. The LP listening café “Vinyl” is packed with records, and turntables and headphones are set up by the windows. At “Hound Pod,” an artist based in New York sketches pets based on photos provided by customers. Seven brands, including Bezlley and Stella Artois, have set up shop here. Lead Designer Jeong said, “If we had focused solely on sales, we would have placed stores all over the venue, but this year we wanted to showcase culture.”

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Interest has been building even before the official opening. Advance reservations, which began on the 5th, sold out within 30 minutes. Admission is free. H Village, which debuted in 2022, has attracted over 1.5 million cumulative visitors over the past four years through last year. According to HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD, from October to December last year, The Hyundai Seoul’s Christmas space drew approximately 6,500 customers per day on weekdays and about 10,000 per day on weekends. This represents a 14.2% increase compared to the same period the previous year.

Competitors have also joined the “Christmas battle” to attract year-end customers. Lotte Department Store will open a Christmas market recreating a 19th-century British street at the Jamsil World Park Lawn Plaza starting on the 19th. It will feature a 17-meter-tall clock tower and a two-story carousel. Shinsegae Co.,Ltd has been screening a Christmas video at “Shinsegae Square” on the exterior wall of its main store since the 6th, depicting the journey of a bear carrying a wish letter. This competition aims to attract year-end visitors not just with product discounts, but with spaces and stories that make people want to visit and linger.

HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD is building its own unique Christmas experience by weaving new stories into its Christmas space each year. It offers a different visitor experience annually, not only through the scale of its decorations but also through its characters and narratives. This year’s production budget has also been increased compared to previous years. Lead Designer Jeong said, “Since 2022, we’ve been thinking about how to present a Christmas experience unique to HYUNDAIDEPARTMENTSTORECO.,LTD,” adding, “Our signature approach is to unveil a new original fairy tale every year and let customers walk through and experience the story firsthand.”