MoMA Goes Seoul Mode

MoMA just dropped its first-ever standalone bookstore, and Seoul got the exclusive. Tucked in Gangnam’s Apgujeong-dong, the MoMA Bookstore at Hyundai Card opened on September 9 with a slick golden interior that feels more art installation than retail space. Unlike MoMA’s Design Stores in New York and Osaka, this spot goes all in on the books—around 1,100 volumes spanning art, design, photography, and architecture, plus a curated sprinkle of MoMA merch like varsity sweaters and limited editions. It’s MoMA’s print brain in a brick-and-mortar body, dropped right in Seoul’s luxury-meets-culture district.

Why Seoul, Why Now

This isn’t a random expansion. Hyundai Card has been MoMA’s cultural plug since 2008, backing blockbuster exhibitions from Tim Burton to Pervasive Light Works. CEO Ted Chung pitched the bookstore as another cultural flex, following recent collabs like the MoMA Digital Wall earlier this year. Sarah Suzuki, MoMA’s Associate Director, said Seoul’s art scene is basically vibrating right now, making it the perfect backdrop. And she’s not wrong—local feeds are calling the bookstore a “game-changer” and a “design nerd heaven.” With Seoul rising as a global art capital, the bookstore plants MoMA’s flag far beyond New York, signaling that art publishing is about to become as much a flex as sneakers or handbags.