Piece Layer

A Korean culture lifestyle concept store that opened in Seongsu-dong in January 2026. It curates products from creators, brands, and artists who interpret Korea in their own unique ways, and showcases merchandise and content featuring its own character, 'Toby'. Currently introducing the work of over 50 brands and artists, the Seongsu store operates with the 'Sarangbang' on the first floor and the 'Anchae' on the second floor. Originating from earthenware figurines of the Silla Dynasty, Toby serves as Peace Layer's mascot and Chief Executive Officer (CHO), acting as the central character connecting brand collaborations with the brand's own IP. The brand has collaborated with companies such as Rizzle and Motherground using Toby and plans to introduce the Hangul typeface 'Toby Gulim' in partnership with Nutype.

Foreign visitors outside the museum see 'present-day Korea'

Touch the originality and sensitivity with your own hands

I wanted to create a place where people could have experiences.

Q. Peace Layer started as a select shop introducing contemporary Korean culture to foreigners. What was the reason for choosing an offline space where customers can see and select products in person?

It started with the thought that, despite the rapid increase in foreign tourists visiting Korea, there were not many lifestyle concept stores where visitors could fully capture their Korean experiences. While souvenirs featuring traditional artifacts were becoming increasingly diverse, spaces that showcased design brands embodying the sensibilities of contemporary Korean creators and Korean sentiment all in one place were rare. I wanted to create a place where foreign visitors could physically touch and experience the originality and essence of "modern Korea" outside of a museum. I also believed that the experience of visitors discovering new brands and artists through Piece Layer is distinctly different from encountering them on an online screen.

Q. What perspective on Korean culture is reflected in the name 'Piece Layer'?

Korean culture is often likened to 'bibimbap.' Just as countless ingredients harmonize within a single bowl, I believe Korean culture possesses a multi-layered charm where various heritages and contemporary sensibilities blend seamlessly. 'Piece Layer' is a name I came up with intuitively one day; as I pondered the word, I realized that the meaning—where countless pieces of culture are stacked layer upon layer to form a new whole—aligned perfectly with the direction of the Korean culture concept store I want to create.

Q. It is interesting that Piece Layer cited 'excitement' as an important criterion for selecting products. In what kind of work do you find that 'excitement' that is uniquely Piece Layer?

The most important factor we look for is whether the product is a result created while the creator was completely intoxicated by their own excitement. We do not accept products that give the impression of merely imitating Korean motifs while piggybacking on the popularity of K-culture. What I consider "being in the zone" is an immersion where one simply cannot help but create, regardless of the gaze of others or trends. I believe that only products imbued with such passion and voluntary energy can convey that energy to our customers. The unique results created while deeply immersed in one's own excitement are also the energy of Korean culture that Piece Layer wishes to showcase.

What I consider to be 'getting excited' is

Regardless of the gaze of others or trends

It is an immersion that I cannot help but create.

Q. Were there any reactions from foreign customers visiting the Seongsu store that differed from your expectations?

In the eight months since opening last January, approximately 3,000 foreigners have visited, and over 1,000 have made actual purchases. Initially, we expected East Asian tourists to make up the majority, but looking at the customer data recorded on-site, we found visitors from a truly diverse range of regions, including the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. One product that particularly stands out in my memory is the <Grape Goal Calendar> by the brand 'Mr. Amugae'. Since the product reinterprets the childhood experience of filling grapes at piano lessons, I thought it would mainly resonate with people in East Asia, but customers from various countries purchased it intuitively. One American customer even connected with the product, mentioning a similar childhood experience of filling an ice cream scoop. This gave me the conviction that we can create significant connections with people around the world simply by honestly sharing our own experiences.

Q. What does Peace Layer consider important when bringing past cultures and customs into contemporary products and content?

We adhere to a policy of not presenting cultural heritage from the past by merely replicating it in its original form found inside museum glass cases. Just as the mascot 'Tobi,' a combination of a Silla earthenware figurine and a Joseon scholar, seeks out the excitement of the contemporary era, what matters is how materials from the past have gained new vitality in the hands of a modern creator. Even for materials of high historical value, we examine whether they embody the sensibilities and wit of Koreans living in the present day. Regardless of era or form, we focus on works that are infused with the creator's unique perspective and joyful energy, and that can be enjoyed within today's lifestyle.

Q. Peace Layer's mascot, 'Tobi,' originated from a Silla Dynasty earthenware figurine. I am curious why you chose earthenware figurines among the countless artifacts.

The most honest reason is that I really love earthenware figurines. (Laughs) While majoring in Korean art history in college, there was no other artifact that I felt as attached to and affectionate towards as earthenware figurines. I thought that if a brand is to promote Korea to the world, its mascot should also embody a long history, so I recalled the Silla Dynasty earthenware figurines that I loved during my undergraduate years. In the past, KBS’s *History Special* described earthenware figurines as "snapshots of the Silla people." Looking at their unformalized, vivid movements, one can imagine the lives of the people of that time. I, too, wanted to capture the vibrant excitement of contemporary Koreans who know how to joyfully enjoy life through these figurines. The initial design featuring an earthenware figurine motif topped with a traditional hat was a proposal from the design studio Mint Condition, and I loved it the moment I saw it. Right then and there, I shortened "Earthenware Scholar" to "Tobi," and he now serves as Peace Layer’s mascot and CHO, the Chief Excitement Officer.

Q. As you recently expanded the Seongsu store to include the first floor, you applied the concepts of 'Sarangbang' and 'Anchae.' What did you intend to convey in each of these spaces?

Initially, we operated 'Toby's Heung Archive,' a space spanning 30 pyeong on the second floor that housed over 50 brands and artists. Later, by adding 12 pyeong on the first floor of the same building, we reorganized the layout: the first floor, directly connected to the sidewalk, serves as the 'Sarangbang' to warmly welcome guests, while the second floor is designed as the 'Anchae,' where visitors can leisurely browse the curated selection. The Sarangbang intuitively showcases Toby's IP and various pop-ups, while the Anchae provides a more in-depth introduction to the Heung Archive. We have also utilized the existing partition wall on the first floor, utilizing one side as a permanent Toby showroom and the other as a pop-up space where the layout can be freely adjusted. Moving forward, we plan to consistently introduce local brands and artists from across the country here.

The regionality most deeply reflected in the brand has long been on this land

It is the 'entire Korean Peninsula,' where the emotions and lives of the people who have lived through it have accumulated.

Q. What do you think is the most strongly reflected regional characteristic in the brand?

The regionalism envisioned by Peace Layer is not confined to the administrative districts of Seoul or specific cities. The regionalism most deeply reflected in the brand is the "entire Korean Peninsula," where the emotions and lives of those who have lived on this land for a long time have accumulated. We hope that Tobi, who possesses a worldview that penetrates the historical moments of the Korean Peninsula from Gojoseon; the private yet universal memories of Koreans, such as spring greens at my grandmother's house or summer rice planting in the countryside; and creators from all over the country who are forging their own unique colors will harmoniously blend within Peace Layer.

Q. Then, what kind of brand does Peace Layer consider a 'good local brand'?

I believe it is a brand that creates its own unique identity from the foundation and sentiments of the life it has taken root in. Rather than simply adopting symbols representing the region, it is more important to refine one's life experiences and sensibilities in a way that is authentically oneself. I believe that the unique stories created in this way can fully reach people from different regions and languages. Peace Layer also wishes to discover the 'Heung' (excitement/joy) of the Korean Peninsula in our own way and share it with people around the world.

Q. In this <Edit Debt: Neo Local>, you are unveiling two collaborations centered around Toby for the first time. What kind of products are they?

First, I would like to introduce the <Autumn Harvest Diffuser Oil>, the autumn edition of the 'Four Seasons Scent of Joy' project conducted with the fragrance brand Rizzle. Following the spring's 'foraging for wild greens' and the summer's 'rice planting,' this scent was prepared to coincide with the autumnal equinox in September. I am translating the memories of the seasons remaining in my life into fragrance, such as the memory of picking spring greens at my maternal grandmother's house in Cheonan and the summer rice planting I witnessed in the paddy field in front of my rented room in Jochiwon. Second is the Toby Edition, created in collaboration with the fashion brand Motherground. I struggled with the graphic design because it was difficult to create variations on Toby's form, but with the addition of Motherground's perspective, a witty 'Tangtu Toby' was born. I hope you enjoy seeing the result produced by the collaboration of these two brands, both inspired by the earth.

Someday, I will work professionally with Hangul typefaces

Create a global distribution platform

Our goal is to introduce the beauty of contemporary Hangeul to the world.

Q. What aspects of Korean culture would you like to reinterpret in a new way through Peace Layer's style in the future?

This is a Korean typeface. One of the reasons I started Peace Layer was the anime *K-Pop Demon Hunters*, and I felt a sense of regret when looking at the Korean typefaces in the work. That experience led me to want to introduce Korean typefaces to the world through Peace Layer's unique approach. As a first step, we are collaborating with NuType, a type design studio selected for "Korea's Most Beautiful Book" at the 2026 Seoul International Book Fair, to unveil the "Toby Gulim" font this coming Hangeul Day. Going forward, I would like to reinterpret classic Korean typefaces as Toby IPs every Hangeul Day. My ultimate goal is to eventually create a global distribution platform specializing in Korean typefaces to introduce the beauty of contemporary Hangeul to the world.

Maker's Pick

Toby plush toy

This is the product that allows you to meet Peace Layer’s Chief Executive Officer (CHO), Toby, up close. It is a character that combines the appearance of a scholar wearing a traditional hat—derived from Silla Dynasty earthenware figurines—with Peace Layer’s signature humor. It is also a product that CEO Kim Cheong unhesitatingly recommends to both newcomers and existing customers. As the CEO remarked, “Shouldn’t you try carrying a Toby on your bag?”, it showcases the cheerfulness Peace Layer discovered in ancient culture in a small and friendly form. Peace Layer explains that with Toby, instead of saying “everything goes smoothly,” it means “everything prospers.”

COMING SOON!

Peace Layer this coming September Meet us in person at the pop-up!

September 17-30, 2026, The Hyundai Seoul B1 Event Hall

fin.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗲 Piece Layer

Saeeum Kim

Edeit Seulgi Lee