Jeju indoor media art with dinosaurs and robots: Nohyeong Supermarket

While looking for an indoor attraction in Jeju to visit with our elementary-school child, we went to Nohyeong Supermarket (노형수퍼마켙).

The three of us—our third-grade child, Mom, and Dad—visited at 2 p.m. on a Sunday. Before going, I thought about an hour would be plenty, but our child kept rewatching the videos she liked, so we actually stayed for nearly 2 hours.

After visiting, I found it was more than simply a place to view media art. You get to enjoy the whole progression, starting in a black-and-white space and continuing through dazzling lights into the large-scale media-art rooms.

Nohyeong Supermarket visitor information

• 89 Nohyeong-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
• Hours 09:00–19:00 / Last admission 18:00
• Open year-round
• Adults ₩15,000 / Teens ₩13,000 / Children ₩10,000
• Free for children under 36 months
• Parking available

Re-entry is not allowed, and wheelchair and stroller access may be restricted, so it is best to check ahead if needed. Hours and admission prices may change, so please check the official information once more before visiting.

The café and waiting before entry

Before entering, we ordered a strawberry latte and hallabong (Jeju citrus) juice at the café. Purchased drinks could be brought inside. After picking up our drinks, we went up to the second floor, but it was not a case of arriving and going straight in.

We waited briefly, then entered in order to keep some distance from the group ahead of us. While we waited, a staff member chatted with us in a fun way and explained useful things to know during the visit, so it was not too boring at all.

They especially told us in advance that the lights go out at the beginning and an old man’s voice is heard, which could startle children. If your child is sensitive to darkness or sudden sounds, I think it would be good for a parent to explain this before entering.

From the black-and-white room to the world of light

The door opened, our tickets were checked, and we entered the first room. The first thing I noticed was the black-and-white space, as if all color had disappeared. Since everything around us was decorated in black and white, people in color stood out even more, and the photos had a unique mood too.

Personally, it felt as though a journey through time was beginning before entering the full-fledged media-art area. After passing through the first room and moving on, the atmosphere changes completely. Dazzling lights and mirrors continue on, reflecting light in every direction; perhaps because we had just been in black and white, the change felt even more striking.

The main media art, across walls and floor

Then we entered the main media-art room. Here, without even realizing it, I said,

“It’s so much bigger than I expected!”

The video extended not only across the huge walls but onto the floor, so it felt much more like being inside the world of the video than simply looking at a screen.

Before we entered, a staff member told us not to stay seated only on the stepped seating: go down to the ground floor and touch the walls, too. They explained that some parts of the screen respond when you touch them.

Our child remembered that and headed straight down to try it as soon as we entered the media-art room. Sitting far away and taking in the full video was nice too, but if you are with children, I would also recommend going down for a close-up experience.

Dinosaurs and robots our elementary-school child loved

It was not the same video playing continuously; the scenes and moods kept changing. Masterpieces, underwater scenery, dinosaurs, robots, flowers, and vivid patterns filled the large space. Of these, our child loved the underwater dinosaur and robot scenes most.

The scene with a huge dinosaur was especially thrilling—the visuals and sound came together so vividly that it felt as if it might leap right out at us. The robot scenes also got a great reaction. Since robots she normally only saw in videos filled the enormous wall, perhaps they felt as though they were right in front of her; she watched for a long time.

The floor projections were impressive too. As I followed the movement in the video, I sometimes had the illusion that I was moving forward or being pushed backward even though I was standing still. That is why it was much more fun to go down and take in both the walls and floor rather than viewing it only from the steps.

A longer visit than expected

Before we went, we expected the visit to take about 1 hour. But our family stayed for nearly 2 hours. Whenever the dinosaur scene ended, our child wanted to see it again, and then wanted to see the robots one more time, so we replayed the videos she liked several times.

So rather than saying, “Nohyeong Supermarket always takes 2 hours,” I think the length of your visit can vary a lot depending on a child’s interest and how leisurely you watch the videos. For our third-grader, it was fun enough that we stayed far longer than expected.

How was it as an indoor outing for an elementary-school child in Jeju?

What I liked most at Nohyeong Supermarket was how clearly each space had its own atmosphere. Starting in black and white, passing through the dazzling mirror room, and continuing to the spacious media-art room, it kept our child following along, curious about what would come next.

I think elementary-school children who enjoy big, colorful video content such as dinosaurs and robots will respond especially well. However, the room becomes dark at the beginning and there are sounds, so I recommend letting children who are easily frightened know in advance.

We visited expecting about an hour, but thanks to our child, we ended up enjoying a full nearly 2 hours. If you are looking for one of the things to do in Jeju Island with children regardless of the weather, Nohyeong Supermarket is worth adding to your Jeju itinerary.