The area accounts for about 70 percent of the country's printing businesses, producing items ranging from stickers and business cards to wedding invitations, pamphlets, theses, and calendars.
Once thriving until the 1990s, the alley has since experienced decline amid technological changes. It was previously targeted for demolition due to pollution and noise concerns.
Now, the alley is slated to become one of Seoul's five specialized urban manufacturing areas as the city plans to modernize the district, incorporating technologies like 3D printing to revitalize this historic printing hub.
