‘Almost anything is possible’: Inside Rolls-Royce’s hanok that only the ultra-rich can enter

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‘Almost anything is possible’: Inside Rolls-Royce’s hanok that only the ultra-rich can enter

Published: 10 Jul. 2025, 06:00 Updated: 10 Jul. 2025, 09:50

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

At Rolls-Royce's Private Office Seoul in Jamsil-dong, southern Seoul, customers can choose from some 44,000 exterior paint combinations, essentially making each car one of a kind. [PARK YOUNG-WOO]

At precisely the appointed hour, a hidden seam in the wall of Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul, slowly parted.

What moments ago looked like an ordinary panel now swung open to reveal a tranquil chamber inspired by hanok (traditional Korean homes), with wide windows framing a sunlit view of Seokchon Lake.

This was no ordinary room: It was the Private Office Seoul, Rolls-Royce’s discreet atelier. The facility, opened in November of last year, is the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region following similar sites in West Sussex, England; Dubai; Shanghai, China; and New York.

“This is the fourth Private Office we’ve built,” said Choi Won-geun, a Rolls-Royce manager clad in a gray suit as he guided guests through the venue on the morning of June 27.

“It’s where we create cars for just one person. At most, maybe three people visit here in a month. Only a select few Rolls-Royce clients ever receive an invitation.”

The entrance to the Rolls-Royce Private Office Seoul on the 12th floor of the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil-dong, southern Seoul. Only invited guests may enter. [PARK YOUNG-WOO]

There’s a reason luxury automakers lavish so much attention on Korea, and it all comes down to numbers.

According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, German luxury brand Maybach sold 1,363 cars in Korea last year — making the country its third-largest market after the United States and China. Bentley moved 400 units while Rolls-Royce sold 183.

In Bentley’s global rankings, Korea placed sixth in 2021 and has held steady at fifth place for three consecutive years since, behind only giants like the United States and China. Adjusted for population, Korea is a market no luxury brand can afford to ignore.

Choi Won-geun, manager at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Seoul, speaks with reporters at the Rolls-Royce Private Office Seoul on the 12th floor of Lotte World Tower in Jamsil-dong, southern Seoul, on June 27. [PARK YOUNG-WOO]

Luxury dreams take shape in secret room

Earlier this year, a Korean family visited the Private Office. Gazing out at the sunset beyond the window, one family member shared their vision.

“I’d like my initials stitched onto the exterior and seats. And I want the car painted a deep red, like Seoul’s sunset,” they told Rolls-Royce managers.

From there, a designer dispatched from Rolls-Royce headquarters in England mixed a range of paints to craft a one-of-a-kind rendering.

The giant screen inside the Private Office displayed a bespoke concept — a design fine-tuned over multiple sessions until it was exactly right.

“We approach it as if nothing is impossible. As long as it meets safety standards, we can add any feature a customer wants,” Choi explained. “At a standard dealership, you can choose from about 44,000 exterior combinations. But here at Private Office Seoul, almost anything is possible.”

Interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Cherry Blossom edition [ROLLS-ROYCE]

Roughly 60 vehicles are ordered through this space each year. Few clients ever ask about the price. The base for a Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV starts around 600 million won ($439,000), but it’s common for clients here to tack on options worth an additional 600 million won or more, pushing final prices well past 1 billion won. For these buyers, the only question that matters is whether the company can build precisely the car they imagine.

Other luxury marques are racing to keep up. Mercedes-Benz plans to open its first standalone Maybach Brand Center in the company’s history in mid-July.

Located in a four-story building in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul — the former site of SM Entertainment’s headquarters — the center will fuse art, technology and brand history into a space that goes beyond a simple showroom.

Mathias Vaitl, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, introduces the opening of the Maybach Center. [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

Mathias Vaitl, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, said the new Maybach center would serve as a place where Korean customers could truly experience what the brand represents — pure luxury.

With a knowing smile, he noted that visitors would likely be surprised upon entering, describing it as a one-of-a-kind space that blends immersive experiences with brand history.

As for why Korea was chosen as the location for the world’s first standalone Maybach center, Luehrs explained that Korea is a standout market, ranking third globally in sales for Mercedes-Benz’s top-end models, including Maybach and the S-Class.

He added that Korean consumers not only have high expectations, but also possess a deep understanding of and genuine appreciation for luxury brands.

Bentley beat both rivals to the punch. In 2022, the company opened its first-ever “Bentley Tower” in eastern Seoul’s Dongdaemun District, combining a showroom and service center. In 2023, it unveiled the five-story “Bentley Cube” in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, southern Seoul — a flagship space where visitors can browse cars, sip coffee or even watch a film.

China’s Huawei unveiled its latest electric vehicle, the Maextro S800, taking aim at Europe’s luxury sedan market. [HUAWEI]

China cools, Korea emerges

The push into Korea is closely tied to a downturn in China. Beijing’s anti-corruption clampdowns, slowing growth and a slumping real estate market have taken a bite out of luxury spending.

Mercedes-Maybach sales in China fell 14 percent on year in 2024 while Bentley saw a sharper 21.5 percent drop in the same period.

Rolls-Royce recorded more than half of its 5,712 global sales in 2024 in North America and Europe with sales in China alone slipping by around 10 percent. Its overall Asia share is gradually declining.

Meanwhile, Korea has remained a steady “premium market,” continuing to grow even as China cools.

Part of China’s shifting market comes from the rapid rise of domestic luxury electric vehicles (EV). Tech giants and automakers there are rolling out high-end EVs at a blistering pace.

Huawei and JAC Motors, for example, recently introduced the Maestro S800, openly pitching it against the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and Rolls-Royce Spectre. Local media reported the model drew 1,600 orders on its first day and 3,600 within a week.

British automotive magazine Autocar summed up the new landscape in a recent analysis, saying global luxury brands now have their eyes "fixed" on Seoul.

The magazine noted that unlike European buyers, Korean consumers show strong demand for EVs and prioritize personalized experiences over brand identity.

The Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV Night Series, the first all-electric vehicle under the ultra-luxury Maybach brand, is pictured at XYZ Seoul in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, on July 25, 2024. [YONHAP]

Challenge of luxury in an electric age

But the electric shift poses a special dilemma. Luxury automakers built their reputations over a century of internal combustion and now face the test of preserving their heritage in the age of batteries.

They’re latecomers to EVs. Rolls-Royce only launched its first electric model, the Spectre, in Korea late last year. More than 150 orders have already been placed, most as bespoke commissions. Bentley says it plans to fully electrify by 2030, but its detailed roadmap is slow to emerge.

“It’s crucial for us to figure out how to deliver the ‘Bentley feel’ in an EV,” said a spokesperson for Bentley Korea. The company added that the manufacturer was rethinking everything, including sound, acceleration and craftsmanship.

Maybach unveiled its first large electric SUV, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680, in 2023.

“For luxury car buyers, the vehicle is less about getting from A to B and more about the experience,” said an industry insider.

“The roar of the engine, the surge of acceleration, the hand-stitched interiors — these are what define luxury."

It’s not easy to replicate that magic with an EV. That’s why, even with the technical capability to go electric, luxury brands hesitate to accelerate the shift.

Lee Hang-koo, an adviser at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, agreed.

“For the last hundred years, luxury brands built their prestige on internal combustion,” Lee said.

“They’ll have to discontinue these engines for carbon neutrality, but it’s still unclear if they can maintain that aura with EVs. Whether they can recreate the sensations and identities of combustion engines in electric form may determine the future winners and losers in luxury,” he added.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]