Shopping and Culture Combined: 'Gallery-Style Premium Outlet'
Located 17 km Straight from Downtown Seoul
Featuring Over 310 Domestic and International Brands
[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Hyundai Department Store will open its 4th premium outlet, ‘Hyundai Premium Outlet Space One,’ in Dasan New Town, Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the 4th. After a two-day pre-opening on the 4th and 5th, the official opening is scheduled for the 6th.
Space One, the first premium outlet in the northeastern metropolitan area, is Korea’s first ‘gallery-type outlet’ that combines cultural and artistic elements such as museums and parks with the existing suburban outlet format. The name Space One is a combination of the first letters of ‘Shopping, Play, Art, Culture, and Experience’ and the meaning of ‘first and only’ represented by ‘One.’
Hyundai Department Store plans to develop Space One into a shopping and cultural landmark in the northeastern metropolitan area by leveraging ▲the optimal location closest to downtown Seoul among premium outlets ▲a gallery-style store layout combining culture and art ▲a comfortable shopping environment throughout all four seasons ▲and the presence of over 310 well-known brands.
Kim Hyung-jong, President of Hyundai Department Store, said, “Through Space One’s locational advantages and cultural and artistic content that cannot be experienced at other premium outlets, we will present new values and standards for domestic premium outlets to customers.”
The Premium Outlet Closest to Seoul... Targeting Annual Sales of 350 Billion KRW
Space One (from basement level 1 to 5th floor) has a sales area of 62,393㎡ (approximately 18,874 pyeong), making it the largest among Hyundai Department Store’s premium outlets. The parking lot consists of basement level 1 (1,200 spaces), ground level (600 spaces), and a separate parking tower (930 spaces), accommodating a total of 2,730 vehicles simultaneously. The stores are divided into ‘Building A,’ which includes an outdoor mall and indoor mall, and ‘Building B,’ which houses a pet park and pet shop exclusively for companion animals.
Space One boasts an optimal location and accessibility. Above all, it is the premium outlet closest to downtown Seoul among domestic premium outlets. It is 17 km in a straight line from Gangnam Station and 16.1 km from Seoul City Hall, reachable within 30 to 50 minutes by car. Previously, the closest premium outlet to downtown Seoul was Hyundai Premium Outlet Gimpo.
Additionally, it is adjacent to the Bukbu Expressway and the Metropolitan Area 1st Ring Expressway (Guri IC and Namyangju IC), making it easily accessible from all areas of Seoul and the metropolitan area. Within a 2 km radius are the Gyeongui-Jungang Line stations (Guri and Donong stations), and in 2023, the subway Line 8 (tentatively named Dasan Station) will be extended to this area.
Notably, about 2.6 million people live in the surrounding commercial areas (Seoul Gangdong, Guri, Namyangju) accessible within 30 minutes by car. Furthermore, several development projects such as the Wangsuk New Town development, the construction of the GTX B line connecting Incheon Songdo and Gyeonggi Maseok, and the Yangjeong Station complex development project 3 km away are planned, indicating significant growth potential.
Hyundai Department Store’s strategy is to absorb customers from the first and second-tier commercial areas across Seoul and Gyeonggi’s Namyangju, Guri, Uijeongbu, and Hanam, as well as from the third-tier northeastern Gyeonggi commercial areas such as Yangju, Pocheon, and Gapyeong, based on its locational advantages and convenient transportation network. The goal is to achieve sales of 350 billion KRW in the first year of opening.
Combination of Culture and Art... Korea’s First ‘Gallery-Type Outlet’
Space One is a ‘gallery-type outlet’ that combines the existing suburban outlet with museums and theme parks. The total area of cultural and artistic facilities at Space One is 36,859㎡ (11,150 pyeong), about six times larger than the average cultural and artistic facility area per store in Hyundai Department Store’s outlets.
The most eye-catching feature is the storytelling cultural and artistic space ‘MOCA Garden,’ created in collaboration with world-renowned artist and designer Jaime Hayon. MOCA Garden, with a total area of 1,653㎡ (approximately 500 pyeong), is located on the 3rd floor of Building A’s indoor mall and consists of three facilities: ‘Jaime Hayon Garden,’ ‘MOCA Library,’ and ‘MOCA Play.’
Works by domestic artists are also installed and exhibited. A large sculpture titled ‘The Carnivallia 20,’ 7 meters high and 13 meters long, created by sculptor Shim Jae-hyun, is installed in the outdoor plaza on the 1st floor, and inside the store, a 5-meter-tall installation art piece called ‘Star’ by installation artist Choi Jung-hwa is displayed.
On the rooftop garden of the 3rd floor of Building B, ‘Heundi House,’ the largest pet park exclusively for companion animals in the industry, will open. It includes playgrounds separated for medium and small dogs, tables where pets and owners can dine together, photo zones, and drinking fountains.
Hyundai Department Store will also introduce ‘Coco Square,’ a premium total pet shop with an area of 674㎡ (204 pyeong) on the 1st floor of Building B where Heundi House is located. Coco Square is characterized by dedicating more than 70% of its space to pet care facilities, including a pet kindergarten, swimming pool, spa, and hotel.
Combining the Advantages of Suburban Outlets and Shopping Malls
Building A of Space One combines the outdoor mall, a typical suburban outlet vulnerable to weather conditions, with an indoor mall to compensate for its shortcomings.
The indoor mall is designed as a ‘complex shopping and cultural space’ combining shopping, dining, and experiential elements. On the 1st and 3rd floors, the largest food court in the outlet, ‘Food Square’ (4,628㎡, 1,400 pyeong), and a specialty restaurant area are located respectively. On the 3rd floor, a 979㎡ (296 pyeong) ‘Trampoline Kids Park’ is established, and on the 4th floor, the famous Seongbuk-dong bookstore caf? ‘Buku’ is located. Additionally, a cinema (Megabox, 8 screens) is introduced on the 4th and 5th floors.
The 4th-floor sky garden connected to the indoor mall features three international standard futsal courts and one 3-on-3 basketball court. Hyundai Department Store plans to operate this space as soccer and basketball classes for children.
The outdoor mall has folding glass doors installed along customer pathways on all floors. When the weather is good, the folding doors can be opened to provide an open-air feeling like a traditional suburban outlet, and when it rains, snows, or the weather is cold, the doors will be closed to ensure a comfortable shopping environment.
Over 310 Brands Entered... Introducing ‘Factory Outlets’ with Up to 70% Discounts
Space One is filled with well-known domestic and international brands. The total number of brands, including food and beverage (F&B) stores, is over 310. The outlet features a balanced mix of luxury brands (Valentino, Hugo Boss, Vivienne Westwood, etc.) and reasonably priced brands (Polo, DKNY, Lacoste, etc.), which is a distinctive characteristic.
Considering that many customers are families in their 30s and 40s due to the commercial area’s characteristics, Space One offers one of the highest-level sports brand lineups among domestic premium outlets. Notably, it introduces about 10 ‘Factory Outlet’ stores that sell inventory items older than two years at higher discount rates (40-70%) than general outlets (average discount rate 30-50%).
The representative factory outlet is the ‘Nike Factory’ located on the 1st floor of Building A’s outdoor mall, with a store area of 1,414㎡ (428 pyeong). The store will sell the full line of Nike products, including running, basketball, and soccer items. Additionally, Adidas Factory (1st floor, indoor mall, Building A), New Balance Factory (2nd floor, indoor mall, Building A), MLB Factory (2nd floor, indoor mall, Building A), and Puma Clearance (3rd floor, outdoor mall, Building A) are also located here.
A kids specialty zone is also located on the 3rd floor of Building A’s indoor mall. It houses 30 kids’ brands such as Off Label, Daks Kids, Little Ground, and I Love J. Furthermore, a kids experience center featuring sports theme parks and indoor playgrounds for infants and children opens with an area of 4,958㎡ (1,500 pyeong). This is comparable in size to 40-50 kids brand stores combined and about 50% larger than the total kids brand store area (3,295㎡, 986 pyeong) in Space One.
Many large-scale ‘flagship stores’ are also introduced. Polo (826㎡, 250 pyeong) is located on the 1st floor of Building A’s outdoor mall, Lacoste (419㎡, 126 pyeong) and The North Face (396㎡, 120 pyeong) are on the 2nd and 3rd floors respectively. Tommy Hilfiger (700㎡, 212 pyeong) and Beanpole (476㎡, 144 pyeong) open on the 1st floor of Building A’s indoor mall, and Descente (350㎡, 106 pyeong) opens on the 2nd floor.
In addition, food and beverage (F&B) stores comparable to department store food halls are introduced, with over 50 brands, the highest number among domestic premium outlets. The first domestic branch of the US’s top steakhouse ‘Texas Roadhouse’ opens on the 1st floor of Building A’s outdoor mall. Other brands such as Namsan Donkatsu and Itaewon The Burger open in the ‘Food Square’ on the 1st floor of Building A’s indoor mall, while Seongbukdong Myeonok and Dotori Pyeonbaekjip open in the specialty restaurant area on the 3rd floor.
Introducing the Highest Level of Quarantine System
Hyundai Department Store plans to introduce the highest level of quarantine system among offline stores in Korea at Space One. Large multi-recognition fever checkers used at airports will be installed and operated at all six entrances of Space One. Staff will be stationed to check customers’ temperatures in real-time as they enter the store, and masks will be provided free of charge to customers not wearing them.
Additionally, to create a safe shopping environment, all Space One employees will wear masks with fever patches attached. These masks change color from blue to red when the wearer’s temperature rises above 37.5°C, allowing easy visual confirmation of fever.
Moreover, a ‘contactless elevator’ will be operated. The elevator can be activated by simply placing a hand near the sensor without pressing buttons. Moving the hand up or down triggers the motion sensor to call the elevator. Furthermore, door handles at entrances and restroom doors, which have high customer contact frequency, are coated with thin layers of 99.9% pure copper, known for excellent sterilization and antiviral effects.
Hyundai Department Store will also regularly disinfect and sanitize the entire Space One store and place foot stickers spaced 1 meter apart along major customer waiting lines.
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