Two innovative Korean creatives are gaining international recognition for their unique approaches to modernizing traditional Korean culture. Creative director and fashion designer Jung Ku-ho has captured global attention with his contemporary dance performance "One Dance" (known as "Ilmu" in Korean), while Yu Zu-hyung, CEO of the popular Cafe Onion chain, has transformed forgotten Seoul spaces into cultural destinations that blend tradition with modern appeal.
Speaking at the Global Trends, K-Design talk session presented by Herald Media Group at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, held alongside Design Miami In Situ Seoul, Jung explained his philosophy of cultural transformation. "My ultimate goal has been to push tradition to the very limit of how modern it can appear," he said. His acclaimed performance reinterprets the ceremonial dance from Jongmyo jeryeak, a royal performance of song, music and dance performed during Korean ancestral rites that is listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
"One Dance" has achieved remarkable international success since its premiere in 2022. The contemporary dance performance gained widespread acclaim following three sold-out performances at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York two years ago. The show returned to the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul in late August, once again playing to sold-out audiences and demonstrating its broad appeal across different cultural contexts.
Jung's approach to cultural reinterpretation stems from personal experiences with questions of Korean identity. Throughout his career, particularly while studying and living abroad, he was frequently asked, "So, how is Korea different from Japan or China?" These recurring questions sparked his ongoing exploration of what makes Korean culture unique. "What I can do is not to simply inherit or replicate tradition, but to create something of my own, based on tradition – to reinterpret and express it in a contemporary language for today's generation. That is the kind of work I pursue," Jung explained.
The idea for the contemporary performance crystallized when Jung realized he wanted to create a work using only the basic movements of Korean dance. This minimalist approach allows the essence of traditional Korean movement to shine through while making it accessible to contemporary audiences worldwide.
Yu Zu-hyung shared a different but equally compelling approach to cultural preservation and innovation through spatial design. As CEO of Cafe Onion and Chicory Hotel, Yu has successfully found and revitalized forgotten or marginalized spaces throughout Seoul. Cafe Onion, now one of Seoul's most popular bakery cafe chains, opened its first location in Seongsu-dong in 2016, in a neighborhood popular among young people and sometimes called "the Brooklyn of Seoul."
The brand's expansion strategy has focused on transforming unique spaces in culturally significant neighborhoods. Following the success of the original Seongsu-dong location, Cafe Onion expanded to other areas including Anguk and Gwangjang Market. "I wanted to attract foreign visitors by drawing inspiration from tradition," Yu said, referring specifically to the Anguk Onion branch, which is housed in a hanok, or traditional Korean building.
Yu's philosophy embraces cultural fluidity rather than rigid preservation. "What is considered Korean is not something that is fixed, but something that continually evolves through hybridity and fluidity," he explained. This approach has proven highly successful, with the Anguk and Seongsu branches each attracting more than 1,000 visitors daily.
The CEO demonstrated his innovative thinking through specific menu innovations, such as the signature "pastry pizza pie" created for the Gwangjang Market branch. This treat draws inspiration from butterfly-shaped pies that were once commonly found at old-fashioned Korean bakeries, showing how traditional elements can be reimagined for contemporary tastes while maintaining their cultural connection.
Yu is currently applying lessons learned from his cafe business to a hotel project in Hannam-dong, where he is converting an old motel into what he describes as an "atmospheric hotel." The project will incorporate works by leading Korean artists, demonstrating how his approach to cultural revitalization continues to evolve and expand into new hospitality sectors.
Both speakers emphasized the importance of having strong cultural foundations as the basis for innovation. "What matters most is having a fundamental root. For Onion, and for myself as well, it has been about finding our own roots that can serve as a source," Jung said. "The question is whether such a foundation is firmly in place, because everything will evolve from there. The stronger that foundation is, the more new trends will continue to grow."
