Seoul's 'Oraegage Week' celebrates 150 historic local shops

Seoul is holding a 12-day event from Wednesday to Oct. 25 to promote long-running local restaurants and shops and the neighborhoods around them, the city government said. Oraegage Week 2026 has added 15 shops this year from four districts in northeastern Seoul: Gwangjin, Dongdaemun, Seongdong and Jungnang. The additions bring the total number of recognized stores across the city to 150. Oraegage, a Korean pun roughly translating to “old shops that will last longer,” is a program the city has run since 2017. It selects shops specializing in food, traditional crafts and culture with connections to Seoul’s history, and promotes their stories to create tourist attractions. “Oraegage are precious tourism assets that have preserved local character while passing down Seoul’s flavors and stories over many years,” said Cho Sung-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau. “We hope this Oraegage Week serves as an opportunity for citizens and tourists to rediscover the charm of Seoul’s historic eateries and alleyways while breathing new life into loc