Running alongside the stone walls of historic Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul lies the Jongno jewelry district, a cluster of brick buildings and crowded storefronts that serves as the beating heart of Korea’s precious metals industry. Concentrating roughly 20 percent of the nation’s jewelry manufacturing operations and more than 3,000 related businesses — spanning design studios, metal refineries, gemologists and retail showcases — the quarter handles over 70 percent of all gold and jewelry transactions nationwide. For decades, it has operated quietly behind the scenes, powering the country's fine jewelry market from raw melting pots to final sales counters. To celebrate that rich lineage, local authorities are opening the quarter’s private workshops to the public. On Oct. 24, the district will launch the K-Jewelry Jongno Festival, transforming the historic pedestrian alleyways near Jongmyo Shrine into an open-air artisanal studio from noon to 9 p.m. Under this year’s banner, "The Street Where Jewelry Is Born, Jongno," the event shines a light on the neighborhood's rare sta