SM Entertainment to open Kwangya@Seoul flagship store

Inside the "Kwangya@Seoul" which will open in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, on Nov. 15 [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

SM Entertainment said Tuesday that it will open a flagship store Kwangya@Seoul on Nov. 15.

Located inside the D-Tower building in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, Kwangya@Seoul will sell its artists' albums and merchandise.

"The store has a futuristic design which recreates the metaverse, where real and virtual worlds coexist," said the agency. It said that it collaborated with LG Display to create a space inside the store created with clear OLED display panels.

One day before the official opening of the store, 100 fans in the agency's fan community Kwangya Club will be randomly selected to be given an opportunity to explore the store ahead of others.

SM opened its first Kwangya-themed flagship store Kwangya@Everland in October inside the local amusement park Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi.

It is also opening more stores abroad.

The company is set to open one in Indonesia by the end of this month, and another in Los Angeles in 2023.

SM Entertainment is a major K-pop powerhouse that represents popular groups such as boy band NCT and girl groups Red Velvet and aespa.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]