[Commercial Districts Transformed by Yongwadae] Traditional Restaurants and MZ Hotspots... Favorite Eateries Loved by Cheongwadae People

From 50-Year-Old Restaurants in Samgakji Area
to Popular Burger Shops in Yongridan-gil

During the Blue House Era in Jongno-gu
High-Ranking Officials Often Visited Gyeongbokgung Station's Korean Set Menu Restaurants
Reporters Met Mainly in Samcheong-dong

Yongwadae Commercial District Also Changing
Introducing Private Rooms to Capture Blue House-Related Business

A restaurant alley behind Exit 13 of Samgakji Station on Seoul Subway Line 6 during lunchtime.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] With the dawn of the ‘Yongwa-dae (Yongsan + Cheongwadae)’ era, restaurants along Yongridan-gil, stretching from Samgakji Station to Sinyongsan Station, are emerging as popular dining spots among Cheongwadae officials.

According to industry sources on the 24th, the commercial district near Yongwa-dae is not like Samcheong-dong, where ministries and history coexist, but rather an independently developed commercial area centered around subway stations with high foot traffic from the past. Accordingly, officials tend to continue using the Yongridan-gil restaurants rather than seeking new places. President Yoon Suk-yeol recently had noodles and kimbap with his Chief of Staff, spokesperson, and head of security at ‘Yetjip,’ a kalguksu (hand-cut noodle) restaurant in Yongsan.

The area near Samgakji Station, known for its long-established eateries, has become a ‘hot place’ for Cheongwadae officials in their 40s and 50s. This area is lined with famous traditional restaurants such as Pyeong0jip, a 50-year-old place selling beef offal, Bong0jip, known for chadolbagi (beef brisket), and Il0jip, a gamjatang (pork bone soup) restaurant. Although there are no private rooms or partitions, it is a place where people sit close together and enjoy a glass of soju.

Appointments between relatively younger Cheongwadae officials and reporters are often arranged at Yongridan-gil, a 10 to 15-minute walk from Cheongwadae. Burgers and pizza, such as those from Ba0 Burger and Ro00 Pizza, are popular lunch menus. Near the back gate of Cheongwadae, Beom0 Pizza and Dae0won Chinese restaurant are also frequented spots. As the weather warms, the Pyongyang cold noodle restaurant Bong0yang has recently seen continued visits from officials and reporters.

If the rank is high and exposure is to be avoided, or if a quiet meal in a private room is necessary, officials are known to use O0 Tuna or Il0hyang Chinese restaurant near the back gate, which have private rooms, or visit Ko0chi, a Japanese restaurant in the basement of the Amorepacific headquarters near Sinyongsan Station.

In this way, it is difficult to separate the formation of commercial districts from major ministries such as Cheongwadae. When Cheongwadae was located in Jongno-gu, the commercial district was formed around Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3 and Samcheong-dong, with officials’ visits continuing steadily. Bureaucrats, businesspeople, and politicians seeking to meet officials often visited nearby restaurants without going far from Cheongwadae. They used upscale Korean traditional restaurants and other dining establishments between Gyeongbokgung Station and Cheongwadae. Many of these Korean traditional restaurants have histories of over 30 years, reflecting Cheongwadae’s long history.

Meetings between reporters and Cheongwadae staff usually took place in Samcheong-dong, as it is close to the Chunghugwan, where reporters stay. This area is densely packed with restaurants, and it was common for reporters and Cheongwadae staff to drink wine together in the evenings.

The Yongsan commercial district is also expected to undergo gradual changes similar to those experienced by Cheongwadae during its Jongno-gu days. Currently, most vacant shops near Yongridan-gil have been filled by new restaurants looking to open. Small business owners are expected to be more proactive in catering to the Cheongwadae-related demand, considering installing private rooms during the interior design phase.