Shinsegae Duty Free has partnered with Korean artist Hong Insook to launch Annyeong on Hanji, a digital media artwork timed to Hangul Day. The piece transforms the Korean greeting “Annyeong” into a vivid visual landscape, and is now showing across major digital screens in Seoul. It forms part of the retailer’s KReflection cultural arts initiative, which aims to reinterpret Korean heritage for a global audience.
Art meets technology in Seoul’s retail districts
The installation reimagines “Annyeong” using motifs such as peonies and waterfalls, symbols of peace and wellbeing. Hong Insook’s composition draws on more than 20 of her works, incorporating pine trees and phoenixes to create a layered, three-dimensional scene. “Annyeong is one of the oldest expressions of love,” Hong said, underlining the word’s cultural weight.
Studio Artech adapted Hong’s paintings into immersive digital content, using anamorphic techniques to enhance depth and spatial presence. The artwork is displayed at Shinsegae Duty Free Myeongdong, LUUX at the DongA Media Centre, and Artium in Samseongdong — turning everyday urban spaces into cultural encounters for both locals and international visitors.
The choice of locations is strategic. Myeongdong is one of Seoul’s busiest shopping districts, drawing large numbers of Chinese and other Asian tourists. Samseongdong, home to the COEX complex, attracts business travellers and MICE delegates. By placing the art in these high-traffic zones, Shinsegae is leveraging retail footfall to amplify cultural messaging.
Multilingual access for global travellers
To make Hangul accessible to non-Korean speakers, Shinsegae Duty Free has teamed up with culturetech company DOSN. Visitors can scan a QR code to access nodnodio, an AI-powered exhibition guide that delivers information in multiple languages. This move aligns with broader industry efforts to enhance the visitor experience through technology, similar to recent initiatives like Lotte Hotels' transit-card travel pass for inbound tourists.
“Through the Korean word Annyeong, we wanted to share a warm sentiment of wishing others peace and happiness,” said a Shinsegae Duty Free spokesperson. The project is part of a wider push by South Korean retailers and hospitality groups to blend culture with commerce, a trend seen in the recent debut of Series by Marriott in Seoul.
For travel professionals, the installation underscores the growing importance of experiential retail in duty-free and travel retail. Airports and downtown duty-free shops are no longer just points of sale; they are becoming cultural gateways. The use of digital art and AI guides also points to a broader shift toward tech-enabled storytelling in tourism, a theme echoed in other markets such as Plaza Premium Group's Taiwan-themed lounges.
Shinsegae Duty Free’s KReflection initiative has previously supported Korean artists and designers, and this latest project extends that mission into the digital realm. By partnering with Studio Artech and DOSN, the retailer is positioning itself at the intersection of art, technology, and tourism.
As Seoul continues to attract record numbers of visitors, projects like Annyeong on Hanji offer a template for how destinations can differentiate themselves. The installation runs through Hangul Day and beyond, with no announced end date, making it a lasting addition to the city’s cultural landscape.
