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With the K-content craze, the number of visitors to domestic tourist sites is surging. However, the situation on the ground is not easy. Visitors often visit tourist sites even after closing hours, but information centers are closed, and guides have left. There are quite a few tourist sites where more visitors come at night. Increasing resident staff leads to a heavy labor cost burden, and replacing them with part-timers makes it difficult to ensure service quality. Employees suffer from decreased quality of life due to repeated weekend and night shifts.

To solve these structural problems at tourist sites, the startup 88Hood is stepping in. Having experienced on-site difficulties through businesses like space rental and art collaborations, 88Hood CEO Lim Jung-min is developing an AI-based smart vending machine, bringing a new wave to the region and the tourism industry.

Business Transition to Solve On-Site Issues


"Visitors often come to tourist sites even after the 5 PM closing. This phenomenon has become more pronounced with the recent K-content craze. However, due to closing hours, information centers shut down, and guides leave, inevitably limiting the ability to convey the site's charm."

CEO Lim Jung-min explained the problems witnessed over the past seven years of operating space rentals and pop-up stores at tourist sites. Initially, part-timers were hired to solve this, but managing service quality was difficult, and when regular staff were deployed, most profits were repeatedly spent on labor costs.

88Hood reached a turning point in 2024 while managing a lounge for a year in the German Village in Namhae, Gyeongsangnam-do. The German Village is a special place with the history of Korean miners and nurses who went to Germany in the 1960s-70s. CEO Lim stated, "We operated the German Village not just as a place for a stroll but as a space for deep experiences. We wanted to convey various stories related to why the German Village was created," but added, "The lounge closed at 5 PM. Visitors gradually increased even after that, visiting at night. However, due to a lack of resident staff or cost issues, there was no way to convey the charm of the space to them."

During this time, CEO Lim noticed a 24-hour vending machine. Thinking, 'What if a guide was there 24 hours like a vending machine?' he conceived the idea of an AI-based smart vending machine. He judged that as the tourism industry is developing, the smart vending machine could efficiently address the industry's manpower issues. Thus, 88Hood signaled a business transition.

Birth of Vending Machine C Based on Existing Business Experience

According to CEO Lim's research, vending machines were first created in 215 BC in Egypt to sell holy water. Coins would tilt a plate by their weight, releasing water. In 1880, a coin-operated vending machine selling postcards appeared in London, UK, marking the beginning of the vending machine era.


Focusing on the history of vending machines, CEO Lim said, "Vending machines have served as the most extensive unmanned infrastructure before robots became commercialized. 88Hood slightly twisted the vending machine. We added the role of a guide and program operator to the existing sales function," explaining, "Smart vending machines are not just typical hardware scrap but entities sharing roles with humans like guides or operators, hence the name 'Vending Machine C'."

Simply combining unmanned voice docents and vending machines was insufficient. Functions necessary from the perspective of space operators were added one by one. It became possible to operate programs unmanned by providing experience kit sales and QR code-linked explanations. Since they were already providing art collaboration businesses and QR code services, it wasn't difficult. As a result, they successfully transitioned their business model to producing region and space-customized vending machines.

CEO Lim stated, "Having operated art collaboration businesses centered on content, we know very well that content or art breathes life and value into spaces. That experience and know-how were naturally reflected in Vending Machine C." He continued, "These days, people are reluctant to install apps. The existing ODI (audio guide) app provided by tourist sites requires a mandatory download. Vending Machine C allows easy listening to explanations with just a QR code, receiving a good response."

Particularly, AI technology was actively utilized in Vending Machine C. CEO Lim said, "To quickly reflect the changing charm of regions and tourist sites depending on the season or situation, it must be easy to modify explanations. AI technology allows updating explanations or modifying voices. AI voice supports multilingual explanations." The AI-based inventory management system also analyzes sales data of experience kits or photo cards in real-time. They developed and are using an ERP system, which usually takes six months, in a short period with AI tools. Based on this, they can secure data from inventory to high-selling product groups.

Sequential Introduction in Gyeongju and Seoul…Establishing a Regional Coexistence Model

Vending Machine C was first introduced in the lobby of Kolon Hotel in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, in June this year. It sensibly provided QR codes containing explanations related to the scenery of Gyeongju and Kolon Hotel. It was designed to help enjoy the space better according to the QR code explanations. Additionally, it sold experience kits like ▲Mother-of-pearl sun catcher making ▲Traditional jewel jokduri making ▲Pine cone bracelet making, capturing family customers. It effectively played the role of a concierge in the busy hotel lounge. Consequently, Kolon Hotel in Gyeongju confirmed the extension contract for Vending Machine C next year.


Since September this year, Vending Machine C has also been installed at Cheonggye Plaza in Jongno-gu, Seoul. This Vending Machine C randomly provides bird photo cards inhabiting Cheonggyecheon. It helps visitors enjoy a walk along Cheonggyecheon while listening to explanations via the QR code on the back of the photo card. The photo cards are composed of birds actually photographed at Cheonggyecheon, adding meaning. The profits from this Vending Machine C are donated to the Korea Bird Association (KBA) and are used for bird protection activities, as informed.

The operational effect of Vending Machine C is evident in numbers. According to CEO Lim, a tourist site currently operating 63 hours a week with 9 hours each on weekdays and weekends can operate 168 hours a week if converted to 24-hour operation through Vending Machine C. The operation time expands by 2.7 times.

A coexistence model with local tourist site guides was also established. Guides focus on developing good content, and Vending Machine C shares their existing roles. CEO Lim emphasized, "Vending Machine C is not a manpower replacement but a role-sharing solution. If staff or guides respond to visitors on holidays or late hours, they get tired, and content quality drops. The goal is to develop better content and allow timely departures with the introduction of Vending Machine C."


In fact, the Vending Machine C installed in Gyeongju is selling experience kits produced by local forest guides. The sales profits of the experience kits are shared with the forest guides. In the case of popular experience kits, 88Hood reorders them, enabling forest guides to research or develop higher-quality programs, creating a virtuous cycle of regional coexistence.

88Hood plans to apply the Jeju Oreum management case to Vending Machine C. Jeju's 'One Group One Oreum Nurturing Movement' is cited as a model case contributing to nature conservation and regional revitalization. According to 88Hood, they are building a system where each local manager is matched 1:1 with a Vending Machine C. CEO Lim explained, "Vending Machine C cannot be operated solely unmanned. Inventory must be continuously managed. Therefore, it is necessary to operate Vending Machine C together with local managers or actual guides on a 1:1 basis. They know the region or space well, so they can research suitable programs for changing explanations and tourists and entrust them to Vending Machine C."

Focusing on Existing Vending Machine Modification and Content Diversification

The rapid growth of 88Hood was significantly supported by the role of Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong. 88Hood was selected as a resident company of Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong in June this year, receiving office space and various support. CEO Lim stated, "After moving into Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong, we received venture certification and an environment where we could focus solely on business was created."

Particularly, 88Hood met with 23 public institutions and large companies over three days through the '2025 Inno-wave Day' held at Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong in September. The 2025 Inno-wave Day is an event evaluating collaboration themes of open innovation participating demand companies and consortium collaboration tasks of super-gap startups, operated by Seoul (SBA), the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, receiving a good response. At this time, 88Hood led to substantial contracts with five organizations, including the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Institute under the Korea Forest Service. CEO Lim expressed satisfaction, saying, "Thanks to Seoul Startup Hub Chang-dong, we accomplished in three days what would have taken more than a year. In the case of the Korea Arboretum and Garden Management Institute, the introduction of Vending Machine C was confirmed."


88Hood focuses not only on supplying new vending machines like those at Cheonggyecheon but also on consulting for modifying existing vending machines. For example, combining local tourism introductions with apple vending machines at Yeongju Station in Gyeongsangbuk-do or incorporating local tourism content into specialty product vending machines in Goheung, Jeollanam-do.

CEO Lim stated, "Existing beverage vending machines can be modified according to content. It is more cost-effective than supplying new ones, making it highly business-friendly," adding, "Even vending machines with low sales due to neglect can be changed by altering the content. Just as small K-pop idol photo cards sell for around 5,000 KRW, I believe content access is important."

Based on existing business experience, a pop-up store replacement service is also introduced. Starting in December, Vending Machine C will be installed at hologram pop-up exhibition sites to provide guidance and distribute free promotional materials for visitors even after the official operation ends at 6 PM. CEO Lim explained, "Inquiries for 3-5 day short-term rentals of Vending Machine C for exhibitions or fairs continue. Small and medium-sized enterprises or startups that find it difficult to operate pop-up stores due to cost burdens can also use Vending Machine C as a marketing channel."

88Hood's goal is to help revitalize regional tourist sites with Vending Machine C. They plan to make Vending Machine C create attractive tourist spaces and enable regional coexistence for profit generation.

IT Donga Reporter Park Gwi-im (luckyim@itdonga.com)

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