Local creative hub
HINOMAD LAB
A place in downtown Sokcho for people to work, meet, and connect with local businesses.
HINOMAD LAB is the community's home in downtown Sokcho. We have brought an unused space back into use as a place where remote workers, local businesses, and young people can meet and work together.
Commerce · Space
Before the space, there were people
HINOMAD LAB grew out of a community with 798 paid participants and a one-in-five return rate, as recorded in September 2026. Those people gave the new space a community from day one.
- Paid participants since 2023
- 798
- Workations, camps & gatherings
- 23
- Projects built together
- 24
- Return rate
- 1/5
- Satisfaction
- 97%
- Gangwon cities: Sokcho, Yangyang, Yeongwol, Pyeongchang, Gangneung
- 5
HINOMAD operating figures as of September 2026
How we have been meeting
Workations & insight camps
Twenty-three multi-day programs of working and staying together in Gangwon cities.
Global nomad meetups
Regular meetups where international nomads and Korean remote workers share one table.
Nomad Networking Night
Evenings where Sokcho locals, remote workers and founders mix. Twenty-four projects started here.
Family workations
We have also run workations for families with children.
AI & branding classes
AI classes and branding workshops led by our founder, adapted from corporate training for Kurly, Dong-A ST, Ceragem and NHIS.
Nomad hub research
We visited nomad hubs in Bali, Chiang Mai and Lisbon to see what keeps people in a place. Those observations became the base camp’s operating principles.
A community with a daily rhythm
By day, people work at the coworking zone, the window desks and the lounge. There’s a meetup every week, plus optional rhythms like coworking days, community lunches and day trips. Every gathering continues in the group chat.
- Home base
- Coworking day
- Community lunch
- Weekly meetup
- Group chat
A place to meet again
Somewhere you know someone will be. Easy to walk into for the first time.
A loose but clear rhythm
Morning coworking, lunch picks, evening meetups, runs, day trips. Joining is always optional.
A table where people mix
Sokcho locals, Korean remote workers and international nomads at one table.
Local experiences, together
Experiences make relationships; relationships bring people back.
Hosts
People who invite, connect, start the conversation and carry you to the next gathering.
Five principles confirmed on the ground over three years.
Joining is optional. Conversations continue in the group chat and bring people back the following week.
Who comes here
People who work
Remote workers and freelancers who can work anywhere with a laptop
People who start
Anyone starting a project or trying something new in Sokcho
People who arrive
International nomads visiting Korea, first-timers welcome
People who live here
Sokcho locals curious about new people and ideas
People shown are AI-generated illustrations.
Downtown, with the locals
We believe the best way to experience Sokcho is through its local brands and local food. Start at the Lab, then head into the alleys.
Neighborhood map & shop guide
Lunch at the noodle shop down the alley, coffee two doors over. A neighborhood map in the lounge, and we point everyone to the shops around us.
Local experiences, together
Community lunches and day trips to markets, local restaurants, Seoraksan, beaches, saunas, and temples.
Programs for local business owners
Neighborhood open house, a "ready for international guests" workshop, and hands-on AI for shop owners. English menus and online listings get done on the spot.
A stage for local brands
Local brands and products are introduced at meetups and talks, and displayed in the space.
A Sokcho where nomads feel at home
It starts with repeating, every day, what we already do. On top of that, three things.
A base camp nomads from anywhere can use with ease
Bilingual signage, information on staying in Korea, and a simple welcome for newcomers, so international nomads can feel at ease from day one.
A downtown that grows with the locals
Regular neighborhood guides and programs for shop owners, and more occasions where things made in Sokcho meet the people who come to Sokcho.
A city worth returning to
Meet someone here, work together, and leave saying "see you next time." That is how Sokcho becomes a place to return to. We keep monthly records and are preparing an annual gathering for nomads in Sokcho.
With brands, companies and cities
Partnerships and workshops
- Space partnerships for furniture, lighting, and desk equipment
- Partner brands appear in the space, our content, SNS and website, with a partner report
- Corporate workshops and team workations with HINOMAD programs
Downtown revitalization and living population
- Programs for local business owners on practical AI and welcoming international guests
- Monthly reports on stays, participating local shops, and international visitors
- Collaboration on vacant-space use, glocal programs and downtown revitalization
Soft-opened September 18, 2026
Get opening updatesSoft-opening period
HINOMAD LAB soft-opened in September 2026. Check @hinomad on Instagram for current passes, talks, and meetup schedules. Some programs may have a fee.
114-1 Jungang-ro, 2F, Sokcho
Rodeo Street entrance · Instagram DM or vincent@mindtouch.ai
What it means for mindtouch
A place for work and local connections in Sokcho.
HINOMAD LAB gives remote workers and local people a place to meet. Their work and spending can support nearby businesses.
Have a project in mind?
Have a tourism, community, or AI project in mind? Tell us what you're working on.