Meet Kim Nam-gil's ‘Yeolhyeol Priest’ in an alley popup. The old alley next to the Yakhyeon Cathedral in Jungnim-dong, Seoul, has transformed into Yeolhyeol Priest Street, next to the first mixed-use apartment in Korea, St. Joseph's Apartment.
On the 6th, Studio S, the production company of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama ‘Yeolhyeol Priest 2’, and Gilstoria IP announced that they will operate the ‘Yeolhyeol Priest Street’ in the area of St. Joseph Cultural Street (6-gil, Seosomun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul) until January 5 next year, branding the drama's ‘Goodam District’ as the virtual municipality ‘Goodam City’.
The alley popup ‘Goodam City’ is a virtual municipality that brings to life the space from the drama by expanding the ‘Goodam District’, the base of the Goodamz, which is gaining popularity due to the recent high buzz surrounding ‘Yeolhyeol Priest 2’ under the ‘Goodam’ brand.
Goodam City is centered around the popup store and collaborates with the alley commercial district.
The Goodam Popup Store is set up in Jungnim Warehouse, which won the Korean Architectural Culture Award. The first floor is recreated as the ‘Goodam Convenience Store’ where O Yohan (Ko Gyu-pil) worked, selling character goods and curated brand collaboration products featuring local specialties. The second floor is designed as the ‘Goodam Operations Room’ where the Goodam Avengers gathered to plan their operations, hosting an event where Goodamz can leave supportive messages. The hidden space in the basement is a photo zone that collects the slush funds from the ‘Daebam Trade Secret Vault’ in ‘Yeolhyeol Priest 1’, allowing visitors to take ‘money bundle certification shots’ that cannot be taken anywhere else.
There is also fun in finding hidden handwritten notes from Father Kim Hae-il and Detective Gu Dae-young throughout the popup. In the annex, the ‘Goodam Photo Booth’ operates as the secret meeting place of Father Kim Hae-il (Kim Nam-gil) and Prosecutor Park Kyung-sun (Lee Ha-nee) from ‘Yeolhyeol Priest 2’, attracting visitors.
Character goods such as Goodamz perfume balm and seed message kits developed for characters, as well as products branded as local specialties of ‘Goodam City’ like Goodam tart, Goodam mulled wine, Goodam chocolate, Goodam herbal tea, and Goodam daily necessities have been released in large quantities.
Additionally, in collaboration with the alley commercial district, signature products and menus such as ‘Superpower Mocha Bread’, ‘Lucky Goodam Madeleines’, ‘Yeolhyeol Gukbap’, ‘Goodam Sesame Oil’, and ‘Goodam Blend Coffee’ have transformed the entire alley into a brand house. By purchasing a ‘Goodam Pass’ and presenting it at neighboring stores, customers can receive a 10% discount on signature products and menus.
Gil Yoon-kyung, CEO of Gilstoria IP, stated, “While story content such as dramas, movies, and webtoons is gaining high popularity as global K-content, the reality is that there are not many contents generating revenue as a side business. There are limitations to selling goods solely through the popup store format,” and added, “The Goodam City brand house has transformed the media business into an IP (intellectual property) business, expanding the drama's worldview into a brand worldview. We are moving beyond drama marketing to market the ‘Yeolhyeol Priest’ brand itself.”
CEO Gil explained, “We aim to create a virtuous cycle structure that expands the fictional world of the drama into the real world, transitioning from media content fandom to brand fandom and securing the sustainability of the drama series,” and “We are also exploring what social impact can be achieved when the influence of K-content is combined with social agendas such as urban regeneration and community revitalization. In particular, we are creating a new revenue generation model for IP business that can maximize the profits of K-content in our country.”
The Goodam City Alley Popup operates from 11 AM to 7 PM until January 5 next year at Jungnim Warehouse near Seoul Station. For usage guidance, product introductions, and event news, detailed information can be found on the official SNS Instagram and X.
