“Take a Forest” was created in November 2019 as a shared space for Gomulja Alley locals and youth as part of the Jeonju urban regeneration initiative. The project began in 2016 and was completed in 2021, but “Take a Forest” still operated in Gomulja Alley.

• Make Revitalization for One Alley

This place was established to revitalize Gomulja Alley and encourage frequent visits from the community. In the past, this location served as a nursing home, but the previous owner ceased its operation. Jeonju City subsequently acquired the building and repurposed it into a shared space for the local community, managed by the “Take a Forest” Cooperative.

Gomulja Alley has been known by various names. Gomulja[고물자] means the relief supplies because Gomulja Alley was the place where the war items were traded. Some also refer to it as “the school uniform alley” because there were a lot of school uniform stores. Nowadays, it has become commonly known as Gomulja. 

This building consists of three floors. On the first floor, there is a shared kitchen, a local content zone, and a community lounge. The kitchen serves as a space for preparing and enjoying food and the local content zone encourages young locals to share their ideas. On the second floor, there is a coworking space available for hosting meetings, lectures, workshops, and more. Although it is still in its developmental stage, interested people can rent this space. Finally, on the third floor, there is a conference room for four to six people along with a rooftop garden and an outdoor garden. In the rooftop garden, people can enjoy small private events such as parties and screenings, while the outdoor garden is perfect for markets and film screenings.

This building serves as a hub for various local creators, including content creators, fostering communication and collaboration among them.

• Connect people to people as Local Platform

”Take a Forest” is used as a spatial community platform. Ryu Young-kwan, Representative of “Take a Forest” cooperative, “The space was created as an urban regeneration project, so the project was carried out as a space that anyone could use,” he added. As a result, a lot of local creators and communicators use this space. Moreover, he has been playing a role in such a community space since two years ago with the idea that he should act as a community platform to connect those people. He recruited a person who runs content on Instagram that introduces Jeonju travel destinations that Jeonju people don’t know. They organize the content as an offline event named "Love My City" at "Take a Forest”. Additionally, they collaborate with local creators, including creating custom items like socks. The initiative involves supporting local branding and local content activities. “After the renovating, I was commissioned by Jeonju City to operate this shared space and I am planning to promote it through social media,” he said. You can use this shared space for free, but you can also rent here for a meeting or personal content. In the case of renting, it costs 40,000 won per hour on the first floor and 25,000 won per hour in the conference room on the second floor. In the case of the first floor, you can use it whenever you're doing simple tasks.

Every year, “Take a Forest” consistently hosts a flea market called "Forest Market”, which varies its theme according to the seasons. This event is organized in collaboration with various shops in Jeonju, each contributing to the chosen concept. For each flea market, "Take a Forest" recruits sellers on social media announcing the concept. Sellers bring products that align with the chosen theme.

Ryu explained, "For example, during last year's market held on December 23rd, we aimed to capture the Christmas and year-end atmosphere. Both sellers and participants adhered to a dress code of wearing red, and introduced items related to the year-end." The event continues this year, with a notable collaboration with the MUJI. From January 13th to 14th, a collaboration was held at the MUJI Times Square branch in Seoul. This provided a platform to introduce Jeonju's diverse businesses and showcase the unique cultural aspects of Jeonju.

In this space, a program called "Local Awards" was held at the end of 2023, bringing together local creators and providing a platform for them to connect. Ryu mentioned that the program allowed attendees to view exhibitions of local creators' works and experience local brands. The program was an opportunity for everyone, not just creators, to enjoy. He stated, "We plan to hold this program annually. Anyone interested in local branding is welcome to attend."

He emphasized, "Beyond the flea market, we also organize networking events to attract more people to this venue. Various local communities spaced in Jeonju propose and contribute ideas for gatherings or activities, fostering a sense of community.” Furthermore, he mentioned that the “Take a Forest” Cooperative is actively working on creating space for teams to pop up stores or exhibitions, showcasing special content unique to Jeonju.

While “Take a Forest” has received support from local authorities and external organizations in the past, they plan to focus on expanding their domain in the future. Ryu stated, "This year, we will concentrate on activating lounges and shared offices within ‘Take a Forest’. As the operator of a community space that both youth and residents can utilize, we will manage human resources effectively and make efforts to ensure that people visit this space frequently." 

 

“Take a Forest” is a place where an old building has been rejuvenated through the hands of people. As implied by its name, how about stopping here for a rest when you're feeling worn out and fatigued? A little haven would be pleasant amid the city's chaos.

 

ㅣKim Doe-hye Editor, Bang Jun-hui, Cho Min-hyeok Reporters