A downtown landmark: Shinsegae

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs:

Q:
Living in Seoul, I get to witness the city transform itself everyday. What used to be a rundown neighborhood turns into a new apartment complex. In the place of a hill are freshly paved roads and tunnels. Recently I saw Shinsegae Department Store downtown wrapped in a cloak. I’m curious if the store will retain its former facade, which I was told reflects the colonial-style architecture. It will be a shame if the costly renovation turns the beautiful structure into one of those nondescript blocks in Seoul.

A:
The department store, currently covered with a print of “Golcode” by the surrealist Belgian artist, Rene Magritte, is under reconstruction, which, according to the company’s spokesperson, involves remodeling the interior. The building has retained its original structure since opening in 1930, when it began as the Korean branch of Japan’s Mitsukoshi Department Store. Samsung Group took it over in 1963 and renamed it Donghwa Department Store and then changed the name to Shinsegae, which means “new world” later that same year. Over the years, the building has become a Seoul landmark. According to the store, the company has not yet decided to change the exterior. The new store is due to open next year.