[Yongsan's Future] From U.S. Military Culture to K-Culture Hub... 'Yongridan-gil' Becomes a Hotspot Icon

⑥ Yongsan Emerging as a K-Culture Hub
Yongridan-gil Mixed with Old Shops and Aging Houses
Amore New Headquarters Sparks Renewed Attention
Popular Commercial Area Growing with Strong Demand

'Yongmaru-gil' Near Gyeongui Line Forest Trail Also Rising
Seoul City Invests 2.5 Billion Won to Foster Local Brands

Since 1950s US Military Presence in Yongsan
'Samgakji Art Street' and 'Steak Alley' Flourished
Gyeongridan-gil Symbolizes Gentrification

Editor's NoteYongsan, which once held the "forbidden land," is entering a new turning point. The Yongsan US military base, which had been off-limits to the general public for over a century, has transformed into Yongsan Park, a space for all citizens. With the presidential office relocation, it has established itself as the new center of power in the Republic of Korea, and development plans have also begun in earnest. There are ongoing demands to expand its role as a center of history and culture. Despite being a prime piece of land along the Han River connecting Namsan and the Han River in the heart of Seoul, it still harbors underdeveloped residential areas. Experts believe that to enhance Seoul’s global competitiveness as a city where power, business, history, and culture coexist, attention must be paid to Yongsan. In this sense, Yongsan represents both the present and future of Korean cities.

# Under a bright yellow awning with Vietnamese writing, rows of plastic tables and chairs are lined up. Outside the window, large palm trees catch the eyes of customers eating pho. Vietnamese newspapers and bottles of alcohol create an atmosphere as if one were in Vietnam. Walking just two minutes along the alley, a Hong Kong scene appears. Red lanterns hang here and there, posters with Chinese characters, and exposed concrete mark a shabby Chinese restaurant. Walking another 100 meters reveals a Japanese izakaya. Cheerful Japanese songs play as customers stand at waist-high tables, sipping sake.

This is the recent scene of ‘Yongridan-gil’ located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It has transformed into a ‘mosaic street’ where various countries can be encountered within a 100-meter radius. Yongridan-gil refers to the approximately 450-meter-long street between the Amorepacific headquarters and Samgakji Station on subway lines 3 and 4. In recent years, it has emerged as a ‘hot place’ among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). According to NICE Genie Data, a big data company, the annual sales of Yongridan-gil’s commercial district reached 241.9 billion KRW last year, with an average sales of nearly 900 million KRW per store. Among these, the 20-30 age group accounts for 52% of the sales.

Japanese-style pub 'Kibo' in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Yongridan-gil. Photo by Kwon Hyunji

Gyeongridan-gil: Preserving Past Glory

The streets of Yongsan are records symbolizing the past, present, and future. Gyeongridan-gil, known as the original ‘○ridan-gil,’ is a space that preserves past glory. The street and alleys extending from the main gate of the Military Finance Management Unit to the direction of the Seoul Grand Hyatt Hotel were once home to the Army Central Finance Unit, hence the name ‘Gyeongridan-gil.’

Unlike Itaewon, which is crowded with entertainment facilities, this area was closer to residential neighborhoods inhabited by foreigners. From the early 2010s, when the US military base relocation began in earnest, unique and atmospheric bars, restaurants, and cafes started to increase, gaining popularity. The commercial district expanded to nearby Haebangchon, enjoying its heyday around 2015-2016. Starting with Gyeongridan-gil, popular commercial districts nationwide adopted the ‘○ridan-gil’ suffix, such as ‘Mangridan-gil’ (Mangwon-dong, Seoul) and ‘Songridan-gil’ (Songpa-dong, Seoul).

However, the Gyeongridan-gil commercial district began to decline in 2018. Rising rental prices made it difficult to find tenants. According to the Korea Real Estate Board, rents increased by 10.16% between 2015 and 2017, nearly ten times higher than the Seoul average of 1.73% during the same period.

Small business owners and self-employed individuals could not endure the skyrocketing monthly rents and left, leading to a decline in Gyeongridan-gil’s popularity. As of 2019, the vacancy rate reached 26.5%, earning the unfortunate distinction of being the highest in Seoul. The ‘original ○ridan-gil’ became synonymous with gentrification, a phenomenon where urban areas undergo changes in use, causing real estate values to rise and displacing existing residents or tenants.

The Former Core of Yongsan’s Commercial District: The US Military Base

As seen in Gyeongridan-gil, Yongsan’s past commercial district was influenced by the US military base. In the 1950s, Samgakji had ‘Hwarang Street.’ Along the main road from Samgakji Station toward the Han River, art studios, galleries, and frame shops were located, earning it the nickname ‘Seoul’s Montmartre.’

This street emerged in 1952 during the Korean War when the US military officially stationed in Yongsan. Poor painters began drawing portraits for US soldiers, marking the beginning. In the 1960s and 1970s, about 300 painters were active here, making it a thriving area. Renowned painters like Park Soo-keun and Lee Jung-seop, known as ‘national painters,’ also painted here at one time. Since the 1980s, the status of the area began to waver as mass-produced Chinese paintings were sold cheaply. Today, about 40 galleries remain, maintaining the legacy.

Namyeong-dong’s ‘Steak Street’ is also a product of the US military presence. In the 1970s and 1980s, restaurants appeared in the narrow rectangular alleys near the US military base in Namyeong-dong, selling steak and budae-jjigae (army stew) made from beef, sausages, and bacon secretly taken from the base. It was crowded with people eager to eat affordable and delicious ‘American meat’ and ‘steak.’ Currently, establishments like ‘Teolbojip,’ ‘Seoji,’ and ‘Dasarang’ continue to operate, preserving 40-50 years of tradition.

Itaewon, centered around the back alleys of the Hamilton Hotel, also became a representative tourist destination in Yongsan due to the US military. With the presence of various foreign embassies, it grew into a dynamic space blending diverse foreign cultures. However, with the relocation of the US military base to Pyeongtaek, the fixed demand from the military, families, and civilian employees numbering in the hundreds of thousands weakened, causing the commercial district to shrink. Subsequently, it faced a ‘triple hardship’ of economic recession, COVID-19, and the Itaewon tragedy, leading to decline.

Yongridan-gil Rises as a Hot Place Backed by Amorepacific

While Yongsan’s representative commercial areas struggled, Yongridan-gil emerged as a new hotspot. It had long been overlooked due to a mix of old shops, neighborhood supermarkets, and aging houses. However, in 2018, the spotlight turned on when Amorepacific’s new headquarters was established there. At that time, Amorepacific had 6,203 employees. Restaurants, cafes, and bars catering to them began to open one after another.

Subsequently, large and medium-sized companies such as digital entertainment company Sandbox (2020), entertainment agency HYBE (2021), and Welcome Financial Group (2022) settled in Yongsan, helping the area grow into a popular commercial district with a solid customer base. As of February this year, Yongridan-gil housed 293 stores, a 27% increase (62 stores) compared to 230 stores in the same month of 2022.

The status of Yongridan-gil grew even more during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conceptual restaurants reflecting the local atmosphere of various countries opened, attracting people seeking to satisfy their desire for overseas travel.

Starting with the Vietnamese restaurant ‘Hyott’ in 2019, Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant ‘Kkeoge,’ Vietnamese concept ‘Good Son,’ Chinese restaurant ‘Lost in Hong Kong,’ American-style Western restaurant ‘Sam Sam Sam’ evoking San Francisco, and Japanese izakaya ‘Kibo’ opened their doors. Hyott, in particular, was praised for faithfully recreating the local food and space, even serving as a filming location for the movie ‘The Outlaws 2,’ set in Vietnam.

Yongsan Leaps Forward as a K-Culture Hub

Along with Yongridan-gil, ‘Yongmaru-gil’ (around Saechang-ro 14-gil), near Exit 6 of Hyochang Park Station on subway line 6 and the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, is emerging as a new commercial district. Yongmaru-gil means ‘connecting Yongsan and Mapo.’ Last year, it was selected for Seoul’s local brand development project. The city plans to invest 2.5 billion KRW over three years to improve facilities and infrastructure and nurture small business owners, aiming to develop the area into a representative commercial district of Seoul. Currently, new establishments such as wine bars, dessert cafes, izakayas, and fusion restaurants are opening.

At the same time, Yongsan is reborn as a center of K-culture. Following the relocation of the former Army Headquarters to Gyeryong, Chungnam in 1994, the War Memorial of Korea was built on the site. In 2005, the National Museum of Korea moved to Yongsan. Last year, the War Memorial and the National Museum recorded their highest-ever visitor numbers, with 2.83 million and 4.18 million visitors respectively.

The US military base site, which had been off-limits to the public for 120 years, is expected to return to citizens as Yongsan Park, spanning approximately 900,000 pyeong (about 2.97 million square meters). Since HYBE, the entertainment agency that nurtured BTS, relocated its headquarters to Yongridan-gil in 2021, the area has become a global tourist attraction visited by numerous foreign tourists.