"If Necessary, We Have to Go to Busan or Seoul"...Cities Considering Complex Shopping Malls [Nojam City]

[Nojaem, Searching for Fun in the City]
<3>Not Easy to Escape 'Nojaem'
③Shopping + Dining + Cultural Experience... Shopping Malls Are Tourist Spots for Locals
Enjoy Popular Pop-up Stores and Shopping Tourism
Why Local Governments Are Eager to Attract Shopping Malls

Editor's NoteAre you familiar with so-called 'No-Jam Cities,' meaning boring cities? These are cities lacking in things to do, see, and enjoy, where locals feel bored and outsiders rarely visit. Since 2019, various cities have been labeled as No-Jam Cities on social media platforms. What started as a kind of meme for fun has evolved into local governments in places like Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju launching 'Fun City Creation Projects.' Are cities with the 'No-Jam' stigma really dull and boring? What makes a city fun? We aim to explore the places and spaces where we live.

# At noon on the 20th of last month, a queue for the pop-up store of Daegu’s famous bakery 'Maman Cafe' surrounded the escalator area on the basement first floor of Hyundai Department Store Ulsan branch. Kim Min-seo (36), who lined up to buy the signature salted fish-shaped bread, said she rushed over as soon as she saw the pop-up store announcement on Instagram. Kim Yoo-yeon (27), standing behind her, explained the long wait by saying, "There are hardly any pop-up stores in Ulsan, so people even go all the way to Busan."

# On the 23rd of last month, a similar scene unfolded at the Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science where IKEA’s pop-up store was held. As IKEA’s first pop-up store in the Chungcheong region, it attracted continuous foot traffic from locals. Except for the Dongbusan branch in Gijang County, Busan, IKEA stores are all located in the metropolitan area (Goyang, Gwangmyeong, and Giheung branches).

The Gwangju U-Square Culture Center, closed for the construction of a complex shopping mall. The theater and some facilities in the same building are still in operation, attracting many citizens. Photo by Heo Young-han

Complex shopping malls that house cultural facilities such as shopping centers, movie theaters, and amusement parks are considered key elements that make cities fun. This is why shopping malls and department stores consistently appear in the top ranks of popular regional tourist destinations.

Our publication analyzed 3,400 popular tourist spots across 17 metropolitan cities and provinces over the past year (August 2023 to July 2024) using data from the Korea Tourism Organization’s Data Lab. Among the top searched tourist spots by locals on navigation apps, department stores and shopping malls dominated. Since 2022, in Daejeon, Ulsan, and Gwangju?cities that launched 'Fun City Creation Projects'?department stores and shopping malls rank first, excluding train stations and bus terminals.

Not only locals but also outsiders frequently visit department stores and shopping malls. In Daejeon, Hyundai Premium Outlet Daejeon and Shinsegae Department Store Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science ranked 2nd and 3rd among places most visited by outsiders. Excluding transportation hubs like Daejeon Station, shopping facilities are effectively the top destinations. In Gwangju, both locals and outsiders most often visit the U-Square Gwangju General Bus Terminal, which houses movie theaters and large bookstores. In Ulsan, Hyundai Department Store Ulsan branch ranked 3rd, following the famous sunrise spot Ganjeolgot.

When our reporters asked residents of Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju what they do on weekends, many answered that they spend time at local department stores or shopping malls with family, partners, or friends. Yuk Young-chae (20s), who runs a small goods shop in Dunsan-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon, said, "If pop-up stores or exhibitions and other infrastructure become more abundant in complex shopping malls, our region might be able to shake off the 'No-Jam City' label."

Daejeon Shinsegae Art & Science

Complex shopping malls also serve as gateways attracting populations from neighboring cities. Citizens met in Cheongju unanimously said that when they want to shop offline, they go on 'shopping tours' to Daejeon or Seoul. Taking the KTX from Cheongju Osong Station, it takes only 50 minutes to reach Seoul Yongsan Station. Yeom So-yeon (39), who runs a cafe on Seongan-gil in Cheongju, said, "Cheongju has only one shopping mall and one movie theater, and just one Hyundai Department Store. It’s quiet and nice to live in, but the downtown area is really lacking. If needed, we have to go to Daejeon or Seoul."

Gwangju Eager to Attract Complex Shopping Malls for More Fun

Gwangju is a representative city that is putting all its efforts into attracting complex shopping malls. Although Gwangju is a metropolitan city with a population of 1.41 million, it still lacks large complex shopping malls. Mayor Kang Ki-jung, who declared the goal of making 'Fun City Gwangju,' is pushing for the construction of a complex shopping mall to open an era of 30 million city users.

Currently, U-Square, a complex cultural space, substitutes for a complex shopping mall in Gwangju. U-Square connects the general bus terminal, U-Square Culture Hall (currently closed), and Shinsegae Department Store, and is densely packed with cafes, bakeries, restaurants, large stationery stores, and bookstores. When the reporter visited U-Square on the afternoon of the 30th of last month, it was bustling with crowds despite being a weekday.

Teenagers are playing games at an arcade located in the Gwangju City Intercity Bus Terminal and complex cultural space, U-Square. Photo by Heo Young-han

However, Gwangju citizens unanimously said that having only one place to enjoy leisure is far from enough. A taxi driver in his 70s who identified himself as a 'Gwangju native' said, "If we build just one (complex shopping mall), people won’t have to go all the way to Jeju, Jeonbuk, or Seoul to have fun; they’ll come to Gwangju instead. That’s how Gwangju will develop."

Kim (67), who visited the movie theater inside U-Square with his wife, said, "It has been disappointing that there was no large complex shopping mall. Citizens are looking forward to the mall coming soon." Jeong (23), a Chosun University student met at the Dongmyeong-dong cafe street, also expressed expectations for the city’s attempt to attract a complex shopping mall, saying, "Compared to Seoul, there really weren’t many places to hang out in Gwangju."

Are Shopping Malls the Guarantee for 'Fun City' Success?

Shopping malls, once merely places to purchase goods, have now become centers of 'mall-ing culture,' where people simultaneously enjoy shopping, dining, gaming, movies, and various cultural experiences. As complex shopping malls become spaces for new cultural experiences, they can be key elements in making cities fun. They are also seen as channels that can quickly attract visitors and create local consumption and jobs.

Hyundai Department Store Cheongju Branch

However, experts say it is difficult to transform a No-Jam City into a Fun City with just complex shopping malls and department stores. Since the brands in department stores and malls are similar across cities, it is hard to preserve the unique character of each city. Professor Mo Jong-rin of Yonsei University said, "Department stores and malls are predictable, but local alleyway shops are ever-changing and full of character. Sustainable fun comes from alleyway commerce, but local governments tend to prefer large projects like complex shopping malls that show short-term results, which is problematic."

Park Song-mi (39), met at Gwangju U-Square, said, "If a complex shopping mall is built in Gwangju, there will be more things to see, but I worry that the surrounding commercial districts might die. It will basically just be copying what was popular in Seoul."

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