Daekyo announced Monday that "Studio Ghibli Exhibition in Jeju," co-hosted with Daewon Media, officially opened Saturday at Jeju Donghwa Village. [Daekyo]
Daekyo announced Monday that "Studio Ghibli Exhibition in Jeju," co-hosted with Daewon Media, officially opened Saturday at Jeju Donghwa Village. [Daekyo]

Ghibli landmark scenes recreated across 3,100-square-meter Jeju venue

Daekyo takes investment, marketing role as Daewon Media leads

Education-focused firm broadens customer reach into cultural content

Daekyo has co-hosted an immersive exhibition bringing the world of Studio Ghibli to life as physical spaces, marking a push into cultural content.

The company announced Monday that "Studio Ghibli Exhibition in Jeju," organized with Daewon Media, officially opened Saturday at Jeju Donghwa Village in Gujwa-eup, Jeju.

Daewon Media led the organization of the exhibition, with Daewon Broadcasting and Daekyo participating as co-hosts. Daekyo handled investment and joint marketing. It is the first time a Studio Ghibli original exhibition has been held in South Korea.

The opening ceremony was attended by Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki, Daekyo CEO Kang Ho-jun, Daewon Media Chairman Jeong Uk and Daewon Media CEO Jeong Dong-hun. Singer Sung Si-kyung served as emcee.

The exhibition spans roughly 3,100 square meters around Jeju Donghwa Village and recreates iconic scenes from major Studio Ghibli titles — among them the Catbus from "My Neighbor Totoro," the bathhouse town from "Spirited Away," a large-scale sculpture from "Castle in the Sky" and the forest from "Princess Mononoke."

The Catbus installation lets visitors climb aboard and sit inside. The venue also features an approximately 5-meter-tall sculpture from "Castle in the Sky" and a No-Face figure from "Spirited Away."

Outside the main exhibition space, a café themed on "Kiki's Delivery Service" called Koriko Cafe and an official Studio Ghibli merchandise store called Acorn Forest are in operation. Along the forest path connecting the exhibition hall and the café, small spirit figures known as Kodama from "Princess Mononoke" have been placed.

Daekyo's move into co-hosting immersive exhibitions reflects an effort to extend its customer touchpoints beyond education services into arts and culture. The company has operated cultural content businesses including a children's broadcast channel and family musicals, and is pursuing further expansion combining education, childcare and culture as it marks its 50th anniversary this year.

"This exhibition is an immersive content experience designed to let visitors engage with the sensibility and imagination of Studio Ghibli through all five senses," a Daekyo official said. "We will expand experiences that connect education and culture so that generations can share and enjoy them together."


hong@heraldcorp.com