Department stores expand culture programs for men

Cultural centers at South Korea’s major department stores are opening courses designed for male customers, reflecting their growing interest in self-development and willingness to spend on such cultural programs.

Lotte Department Store is set to open culture classes for cooking, fashion styling and fishing in September. Fishing will be taught by Kim Jee-min, a blogger specializing in the popular sport.

“The male students in our culture courses were about 5 percent (of the total) three years ago and the ratio has since risen to 10 percent,” said Hong Young-jun, a cultural business manager at Lotte.

Hyundai, another major department store franchise, has also set up courses that fathers can attend with their children. The programs range from camping and yachting to history lessons.

“More classes will target fathers, and the proportion of male members is expected to double to 25 percent of the total,” said an official from Hyundai Department Store.

Department stores are shifting their focus to male customers spending big on such programs to fulfill their various cultural needs.

In the same vein, clothing firms such as LG Fashion’s Il Corso are opening seminars about men’s styling. As looks can be deemed a competitive factor for men, fashion brands are offering more classes on “successful looks.”

Jin Eun-soo, Intern reporter
(janna924@heraldcorp.com)