From gaming and music to books, this week’s Well-Curated Weekend highlights three ways to recharge your spirit: a gamer’s hideout in Jongno, a soulful photo exhibition in Daehangno and Korea’s newest megalibrary in Suwon.
Live out your inner mouse potato
Sitting in the heart of Seoul in Jongak is Mouse Potato, an expansive, stylish hangout where guests can indulge in desserts and drinks while diving into a wide selection of video games — all without a time limit or extra fee. Simply order a drink and you’re free to play for as long as you like.
Named after the modern twist on couch potato — mouse potato, slang for someone who spends leisure time glued to a screen — the venue is a hip, two-story space that doubles as both a cafe and a gamer’s paradise.
On the first floor, guests can grab their drinks before heading upstairs, where the second floor unfolds into a spacey game zone filled with collectible gaming merchandise and a diverse lineup of consoles — from old-school retro systems to modern setups like PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Unlike Korea’s typical console cafes, which usually limit options to PlayStation and sometimes Switch, Mouse Potato offers an immersive, almost museum-like experience, with titles spanning generations — from classics like The King of Fighters (first launched in 1994) to modern co-op hits such as Overcooked and It Takes Two. The best part is that there’s no hourly charge or time restriction, unlike standard Korean gaming cafes, making this place one of the most cost-effective options for those looking to game.
The second floor features five main gaming zones that tend to fill up quickly, so weekday visits are recommended. Beyond video games, the cafe also provides chess boards and plush seating areas for those who want to unwind.
Mouse Potato
66, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Memphis music greats get Seoul outing
A photo exhibition of Black musicians from the US Southeast is running at the ARKO Art Center Open Space through Oct. 31, offering a glimpse into the vibrant music scene of 1920s-1970s Memphis, Tennessee.
Here, you can see some of the greats of American music of the era captured in black and white photographs, save one taken after the advent of color films, some striking a meticulously staged pose, some caught in the moment — Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Count Basie and Al Green among them.
The 20 photographs on view at “Hooks Brothers Studio: Framing Memphis’s Black Sound,” curated by C. Rose Smith, assistant curator of photography of Memphis Art Museum, come from a vast treasure trove of photographs of the Hooks Brothers Studio archive, which is part of the collection of Memphis Art Museum, scheduled to open in Memphis, Tennessee, next year.
Hooks Brothers Studio, founded in 1907, went on to become one of the most prominent Black commercial photography businesses in Memphis, continued by two generations of the Hook family until its closure in 1984. Their photographs captured the rhythm of life in Memphis as well as the music culture of the city as it became a hub of gospel, funk and soul. The first US radio station dedicated exclusively to a Black audience, WDIA, is also located in Memphis.
It is no mere background music that is playing at the exhibition. The soundtrack, curated by the Memphis Listening Lab and playing on specially selected speakers, is an essential part of the show.
Hearing B.B. King croon “Everyday I Have the Blues” and other well-known songs from the era brings the photographs to life: It feels as though the musicians on the walls are there singing for you.
The first international presentation of the Hooks Brothers Studio archive is being shown in Korea by the Memphis Art Museum in partnership with Arts Council Korea.
Arko Cultural Center Open Space
3 Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
A brand new public library for your soul
The largest public library in Korea opens this weekend in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Spanning 27,795 square meters across five above-ground and four underground levels, it will serve as a cultural hub for creativity and learning.
The library holds 344,216 volumes, including 148,181 printed books and 196,035 e-books, with plans to expand to 550,000 volumes within five years. Beyond its scale, the library embodies six themes across its nine floors: creativity, connection, inclusion, wisdom, sustainability and growth.
The basement floor, the Space of Creativity, features an AI Studio where visitors can use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Photoshop to create digital content. There is also an AI Reading Discussion Room where people and AI engage in book discussions, and a multipurpose Planet Gyeonggi Hall hosts performances and lectures.
The first floor, themed Connection, offers a literature lounge, youth cafe and eco-themed art displays. The second floor, the Inclusion Space, provides multilingual books, AI voice-reading services and a console gaming zone.
The third and fourth floors serve as a knowledge hub with art-book lounges, themed reading paths, and climate literature corners, while the fifth floor, the Growth Space, supports young creators through digital studios and an AI Book Therapy program that recommends books based on children’s drawings.
Membership is open to all, with resident verification granting additional privileges. The library will run on a trial basis through year’s end, open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gyeonggi Library
30 Docheong-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do
- 2 NK soldiers briefly cross MDL to apparently chase defecting soldier: sources
- Hybe partners with LAFC
- N. Korea breaks ground on memorial museum for its troops killed in Russia’s war with Ukraine
- Seoul shares open sharply higher on eased US-China tensions
- Lee says ‘carefully’ reviewing impact on financial markets during US tariff talks
Most Commented