The word "retro" is popular but wrong. Fact Walk into any block in Euljiro's core and you'll find machines running, orders being processed, trades being carried on by people who have been doing this work for decades. The cafés and bars that drew the crowds are real — but they moved in around an industry, not instead of one.
What actually runs here
Euljiro's working identity has three pillars. The printing alley runs from near Chungmuro Station north toward Euljiro 3-ga — small shops that produce business cards, books, packaging, and signage for clients across Seoul. The electronics floors at Sewoon Sangga house repair skills and component stocks that are hard to find anywhere else. The lighting district supplies fixtures for restaurants, wedding halls, and broadcast studios across the country. These are not heritage displays. They are active trades.
What 2026 actually looks like
Fact In March 2026, the city designated Chungmuro blocks 1–5 as a formal redevelopment zone — the heart of the printing district. Fact Demolition work around Sewoon Sangga is scheduled this month, though this timeline has already slipped before. Plans include new high-rise buildings over 200 meters tall stretching from Jongmyo Shrine to Toegye-ro.
The UNESCO question
Jongmyo Shrine, a few blocks north, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. A civic coalition has formally objected to a high-rise proposal near the shrine, arguing it could threaten that heritage status. Unconfirmed A national survey reportedly found most respondents preferred protecting the shrine's sightlines over permitting taller development. This debate is not resolved.