Meet Kim Hyun-jae, who runs The Present Guesthouse in Daehangno and Seongbuk-dong — two distinct neighborhoods, two very different guest experiences.
Property type: Guesthouse
Address: 24, Daehak-ro 14-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Room types: Twin Room, Deluxe Twin Room, Triple Room, Deluxe Triple Room
Amenities: Common area, shared kitchen
Nearby attractions: Naksan Park, Changgyeonggung Palace, Dongdaemun, Marronnier Park, Ihwa Mural Village
Q Hi! Tell us about your property — and yourself.
Hi, I'm Kim Hyun-jae. I run The Present Guesthouse — two locations, one in Daehangno and one in Seongbuk-dong.
The Daehangno location has a killer advantage: it's easy for international guests to find. It's a converted hanok (traditional Korean house). We almost went for "hanok stay" licensing, but that would've meant no beds — lots of regulations. We figured foreign travelers would prefer beds for comfort. My mother runs a theater company, and since Daehangno is Seoul's theater district, we also offer discounted show tickets to our guests.
Q You're running two properties now. How did you get into the guesthouse business?
My aunt ran one first. That's how I learned guesthouses were a thing.
The Daehangno property was originally a rental. Then I remembered my aunt's place. Initial investment was around ₩30 million — we reused a lot of what was already there. Way lower startup cost than most businesses.
Seongbuk-dong is a three-story family home. We used to run part of it as a rehearsal space and share house. Earlier this year we renovated. Started running floors 2 and 3 as a guesthouse in summer.
Q You also ran a share house. How was that?
Not easy, honestly. Multiple people living together long-term — lots of friction. Cleaning schedules, bringing friends over, noise. Always something. From our side, late rent, broken stuff. Stressful.
Share houses do require less day-to-day work than guesthouses. If you can mediate well, it's not a bad model. We couldn't. So we pivoted to a guesthouse in February and opened in summer.
Q Your family is deeply involved in theater — pretty different from hospitality. Was the transition tough?
At first, hosting strangers was hard. Especially international guests. I had this mental block. Most guesthouse operators love meeting foreigners, love travel. I like meeting people, but I didn't know how to act around foreign guests. Language barrier, too. So early on, I invited Korean friends to stay — kind of a dry run before I started accepting international bookings. It's way better now.
THAAD hurt us badly. Chinese guests used to be 30–40% of bookings. Now? Almost zero.
My younger sister joined six months ago. She's doing English conversation classes just to handle basic check-ins. Another challenge: Seongbuk-dong is bigger than Daehangno. Cleaning is a beast. Huge yard — when it snows or leaves fall, the workload doubles.
Q Daehangno is Seoul's theater hub. Who comes to stay?
Foreign guests don't usually know about the theater scene. I think they just like that Line 4 goes straight to Dongdaemun and Myeongdong from Hyehwa Station. Also, there are universities nearby — we get a lot of calls during exam season (especially after the CSAT).
Q Any moments that stick with you — good or bad?
Bad: We had guests from Cambodia once. They kept asking for discounts. Their Korean tour manager was visibly embarrassed — said this happens everywhere they go. Turns out haggling is huge in Cambodian culture. But that wasn't all. They walked around shirtless in common areas. Left their dishes unwashed after breakfast (guests are supposed to clean up). That week was... memorable. (laughs)
Good: A guest once sent us beautiful photos of Chicken (our poodle) over KakaoTalk. Professional-level shots. Made my day.
Q What should guesthouse operators obsess over — and what can they let slide?
Obsess over cleanliness. It's a lodging business. We sometimes hire a pro cleaner — they're on another level. I try to learn from them every time.
You can let go of constant guest interaction. I know — guesthouse guests expect it. But I'm not fluent in English. I used to agonize over how to approach people.
What I learned: you don't have to be proactive. Just be responsive. When guests ask for help, go all in. Be kind, be helpful. That alone gets great reviews. And honestly, most foreign travelers are out all day sightseeing. You won't see them much anyway. (laughs)
Q How do the two locations differ?
Daehangno: close to Hyehwa Station, great location, tons of food and entertainment. Safer at night than Hongdae, Sinchon, or Itaewon — fewer drunks after dark.
Seongbuk-dong: bigger, has a yard. Feels like an urban pension. 70–80% of guests are groups. Some long-term stays. Recently hosted an international volunteer org. My sister hosts flea markets in the yard — charges vendors for the space.
Q How do you market the properties? Where do bookings come from?
Mostly international OTAs. 90% of bookings are through Airbnb. I don't actively manage social media. Reviews do the heavy lifting — on booking platforms, on social. Just keep stacking good reviews.
Q You meet regularly with other guesthouse operators. What's the value in that?
We meet once a month. Two big gatherings a year. When someone opens a new place, we all visit and share tips. It's not just veterans teaching newbies — new operators teach us about trends. We vent together during tough times. If someone gets overbooked, we send guests to each other. Super supportive community. Couldn't do this without them.
Q You've used ONDA from day one. Favorite feature? Any power-user tips?
I've been on ONDA since we opened. The channel manager is a lifesaver — I manage multiple OTAs in one place. And the mobile app? I can check inventory and enter reservations anywhere. I always recommend ONDA when people ask how I handle bookings.
Q Any local recommendations — attractions, food?
Daehangno has shows, obviously. Naksan Park and Ihwa Mural Village are nearby, but I'd say Marronnier Park. It was neglected for years, but the city renovated it two years ago. Now there's busking, pretty night lighting — worth a visit.
Our theater company is working on a show for international audiences. Minimal dialogue, high energy, easy to enjoy. Stay tuned.
Food-wise, Daehangno is mostly chains. Not as indie as Yeonnam-dong or Ikseon-dong, unfortunately. But there's Menya Sandaime on Sonamugil — amazing Japanese ramen. And Hyeon Sushi (my sister used to work there) — also solid.
