HUGAN BOOKS

Preserving Culture in Print: A Visit to Hugan Books

Photographer Shim Jae used to travel with two extra suitcases just to fill them with magazines. While the rest of us were casually browsing Vogue Runway at our local bookstores to dream about the future, he was amassing a collection of thousands. That dedication led him to open Hugan Books, a sanctuary for print culture.  

We met him alongside his friend Sean. Raised in rainy Oregon, Sean is a skater and a colleague at Stüssy. We sat down with these two friends to talk about the space.

 

Q1. We are hunting for weirdos. Please introduce yourself.

Shim Jae: Think of Hugan Books as a bookstore crossed with an archive.

 

Sean and Shim Jae

 

We focus on fashion, music, and street culture magazines from the 90s and 2000s. Right now, I curate overseas magazines that are out of print or just hard to find. We also handle small-batch publications, zines, and objects connected to books.

The name Hugan (휴간/休刊) literally means ‘a pause in publication’ in Korean. I wanted to capture that specific time when a magazine stops being printed. It also represents hitting pause to look deeply at things in the middle of this fast-paced world. Hugan Books is a place that brings out stories that have passed but remain valid instead of chasing whatever is new.

 

 

Sean: The deeper you dig into a culture, the more it pays off. You might start just because it looks cool. But going deeper is how you gain knowledge, skills, and true love for that culture. Hugan Books is the perfect entry point for people who want to understand the street scene slowly but deeply. It helps you discover the context behind the trends. It is a place where you can take your time.

           

Q2. We heard you moved to an offline space after participating in the Visla Flea Market in Yangyang. What is Hugan's backstory?

Shim Jae: Opening a bookstore wasn't the original plan. I had been collecting magazines personally for a long time, and at some point, I just wanted to share this archive. Participating in the Visla flea market in Yangyang was the spark. I saw people’s reactions to the magazines firsthand.

  

Watching people actually stop to read and talk rather than just consuming left an impression on me. That experience made me decide to create a physical space where I could consistently show this collection. It happened very organically.

 

Q3. We were moved by your post on Threads about the space that became the starting point for Hugan Books. Tell us about your connection with the owner of DongSeo Books.

Shim Jae:  When I was preparing the space, I randomly found Dongseo Books. It was already an old bookstore, and the layers of time were still intact there. Talking to the owner, I felt a deep connection regarding our attitude toward books and space. It felt like more than just renting a space.

             

          

The start of Hugan Books felt less like making something new and more like inheriting something. I think of it as Hugan Books being lightly layered onto the history of the old bookstore. That connection made the current Hugan Books possible.

 

Q4. Who is in the Hugan Books crew? Are you all deeply interested in books and magazines?

Shim Jae: Hugan Books is mostly a one-man show, but friends move together with me depending on the project. Sean, who is here for the interview, is one of those connections. He grew up in the US and we met when he visited the Seongsu branch opening as a customer. Now we work together as a team at the Stüssy Seoul Chapter and he acts as a friend of Hugan Books.

 

Sean and Shim Jae

 

Everyone I work with is active in their own fields. However, we all think of books and magazines as cultural records rather than simple information. You don’t have to be a collector or an expert. We just all share the attitude of recognizing each book as conveying its own story in an interesting way.

 

 

Sean: To me, these magazines are collectibles, their own art pieces. I have books gifted to me by Shim Jae. Looking at them, I see cultures I never experienced, like 90s or 00s Japanese street culture. The layouts and photos are still relevant today. Honestly, people in Seoul wear way too much black. The fits might be nice, but it feels a bit boring. Vintage magazines or photo books are much more colorful and vibrant, so I get a lot of inspiration for color from those visual archives.

            

Q5. Hugan Books feels like a gathering place for enthusiasts rather than just a shop.

Sean: Exactly. It’s like a head shop, a subculture general store. It is more than a boutique selling goods. It is a space where people deeply immersed in a culture gather to share knowledge.

 

 

I skate. I was surprised by how small the skate scene was here, and the public view on street skating is still pretty strict. But even though the scene is smaller, the skill level here is insane. In the US, you have friends who are PhDs in skate history but average at skating. In Korea, there are many friends who are incredibly skilled practically, even if they haven't dug deep into the cultural background.

 

Right now, Korean skaters don’t just skate. They are showing their colors in music, DJing, crafting, and more. Being multi-talented and not limited to one thing is the future of the Korean scene.

 

Q6. What is your favorite book at Hugan Books?

Shim Jae: Rather than picking one specific book, I’m attached to the ones that have been with me the longest.

         

 

Books found by chance in a small bookstore while traveling, or books that influenced me heavily during a certain period of work. I often remember the situation and time I met the book more than the book itself. Most books at Hugan Books were gathered that way. They might be used books to others, but to me, they are objects with clear memories.

 

Q7. What’s the rarest magazine at Hugan? Or one that you really want people to know about?

Shim Jae: The real rare stuff is the out-of-print fashion and culture publications with extremely low circulation. Many were collected one by one over a long time through overseas collectors, old bookstores, or personal exchanges.

        

All Gone: A Year Book style art book documenting the best and rarest street items released each year.

 

I have a deep love for All Gone and Living Proof. Both of them are magazines that document people within different cultures around the world.

     

Living Proof: A skate & graffiti zine capturing the raw energy of New York.

   

The reason they feel rare isn't strictly price or scarcity. They contain the experience of meeting the creators, talking to the figures on the covers, and getting their signatures on the first page. You can’t put a price on that kind of history. Books with those layers of memory are the rarest and most meaningful at Hugan Books.

 

Q8. Any recommendations for fashion lovers?

Shim Jae: If you like fashion, I recommend magazines that show the culture and attitude surrounding the clothes, beyond the clothes themselves. Trend reports are fine, but magazines that capture the people living in those clothes remain in memory longer. The music, the streets, and the atmosphere of the era, they tell more than a report really can.

 

 

I am currently into Comet Magazine. It records figures active in Japan, mostly Tokyo, in a series format. It avoids being loud while still presenting a clear perspective and energy. I learned about it through Yamepi, the operator, via my Japanese friend (and Carservice director), Kei. In Korea, you can currently only find it at Hugan Books.

 

Q9. What is the vibe of the customers?

 

Sean: Some customers come specifically to resell, and some just walk in off the street, but in general our customers have great taste. We get quite a few foreign customers too. Shim Jae’s curation mixed with the visual elements and small props throughout the store make it a very lively space.

            

   

Q10. Does the current Hugan Books resemble the ideal image you had when opening?

 

Shim Jae: It’s pretty similar to what I was imagining. I wanted a space that lasts a long time without worrying about getting big quickly. I feel we are staying true to that. It is not finished yet, but I am satisfied that it is settling in slowly.  

 

 

Q11. You’ve collaborated with brands like San San Gear, Vans, and Worksout. Any memorable moments?

Shim Jae: The process matters more than the result. Collaborations that respected Hugan Books' attitude and pondered the context beyond simple exposure remain as good memories.

 

Hugan Books x San San Gear Popup ⓒ@huganbooks

I want to continue projects centered on publishing, archiving, and recording. I look forward to collaborations that connect naturally through books or magazines.

              

Q12. How do you want Hugan Books to be remembered in the distant future?

Shim Jae: I hope it is remembered as a space with distinct taste. A space that naturally comes to mind again, where the time spent staying slowly remains a good memory.

             

Next to the magazines, clothes and other unique items line the shelves

 

Q13. I heard you moved from Seongsu back to Chungmuro. Why?

   

 

Shim Jae: Seongsu moves too fast. Chungmuro, on the other hand, is slow. It has spaces where time has piled up. I felt Chungmuro’s atmosphere fit the rhythm and attitude Hugan Books aims for better.

          

 

Sean: Location-wise, it's not a spot you just stumble upon. We actually get neighborhood elders coming in out of curiosity. But mostly, people make planned visits. They make time to come here. I think that is the cool part. It shows the older, slightly worn areas of Seoul in a new light. It connects with nearby places like Sewoon Plaza or DDP.

 

 

Q14. This is our first interview, starting off 2026. What is Hugan Books' goal for 2026?

Shim Jae: Rather than changing drastically, the goal is to maintain the current direction. While protecting the space, I want to continue introducing good books and magazines while also producing our own magazine. We want to actively create stories centered on books in 2026 through a magazine containing Hugan Books' perspective.

 

 

Q15. A final shoutout to the world?

Shim Jae: Come through! Welcome to Hugan Books. We are located at 62-1 Mareunnae-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. Please feel free to visit. Thank you!