BTS shoots ‘Swim’ performance video at SK family hanok

BTS has filmed its latest live performance video at Sunhyewon, a historic hanok once owned by the founding family of SK Group, drawing fresh attention to the site.

The video for “Swim,” the main track of the group’s fifth album, released Sunday, was shot at the traditional residence in Seoul where the late Chey Jong-gun, founder of SK Group, once lived.

Sunhyewon has long been part of SK Group’s history. Built in 1968, it served as both Chey’s private residence and a personal research space.

The name Sunhyewon, meaning “a place that bestows wisdom,” was given by Chey Jong-hyun, the founder’s younger brother and a former chairman of the conglomerate, reflecting the family’s emphasis on learning and mentorship.

The residence also holds personal meaning for current SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. He spent part of his childhood there, watching the founding generation commute to the company’s former Seoul office in Myeong-dong, then known as Sunkyong Group, a memory often associated with the group’s early years.

More recently, SK Group renovated the compound — once a mix of Western-style and traditional buildings — into three hanok structures named Gyeongheunggak, Harindang and Dongyeoru. The redesign kept the traditional look intact while incorporating modern architectural techniques, aiming to preserve its heritage while adapting it for contemporary use.

Using Sunhyewon as a filming location brings together corporate heritage and pop culture in a way that is still relatively uncommon in Korea. Industry observers say it reflects a broader shift in how the legacy of business founders is being opened up and shared with the public.

“It is common to make use of founders’ legacies in cultural and social ways abroad,” said an industry source who requested anonymity. “It gives younger generations a chance to connect more closely with the spirit of challenge and growth left behind by earlier generations.”

SK Group is expanding Sunhyewon's role into a social and cultural space, signaling a broader direction for the site's future.