Once a hub for fashion and beauty, Myeong-dong is undergoing a dramatic transformation, with Korean food taking center stage as snack-filled supermarkets and street food eateries replace clothing boutiques and cosmetics stores. /Chosun DB

Once known for fashion and cosmetics, Myeong-dong is transforming into a K-food hotspot, as the growing global appetite for Korean snacks and street food reshapes the district’s commercial landscape.

Supermarkets packed with local treats and eateries serving classic Korean comfort foods are now filling the spaces once occupied by clothing stores and beauty shops.

A prime example of this shift is a small alley between Daiso’s Myeong-dong Station branch and Olive Young’s Myeong-dong Town branch. Spanning about 340 meters, the alley is now lined with four supermarkets specializing in Korean snacks, two stores dedicated to seasoned almonds, and popular street food spots offering tteokbokki buffets and gimbap.

Just a few years ago, these storefronts were home to fashion boutiques and cosmetic retailers—now, they form a vibrant ‘K-food street.’"

The rise of K-food is reshaping Myeong-dong’s commercial district. Clothing stores, cafés and dessert shops—once dominant in the area—are dwindling, while supermarkets selling Korean snacks and restaurants serving traditional dishes are on the rise.

The shift reflects changing tourism trends: large tour groups of foreign visitors, once known for bulk-buying clothes and beauty products, are giving way to independent travelers, particularly younger visitors, who are more interested in Korean snacks and local delicacies.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s analysis, the number of Korean restaurants in the Myeong-dong special tourist zone, which includes Myeong-dong and Namdaemun Market, grew from 642 in late 2023 to 680 a year later—an increase of 38 establishments, or 6%. During the same period, the number of supermarkets specializing in K-food climbed from 152 to 175, up 15%.

Meanwhile, cosmetics stores—once emblematic of Myeong-dong’s shopping scene—declined from 418 to 402. Clothing stores dropped from 3,013 to 2,935, while the number of cafés inched up from 340 to 343. These shifts signal Myeong-dong’s transformation from a fashion and beauty hub into a “K-food district”.

K-food supermarkets in Myeong-dong have become must-visit spots for foreign tourists. Many of these stores prominently display words like “Korea” or “K” on their signs, distinguishing themselves from conventional supermarkets. Rather than selling fresh produce or eggs, these stores focus on Korean snacks, flavored seaweed, and seasoned almonds. Some even sell K-pop merchandise such as keychains and magnets.

“The shift comes as Chinese group tours—once a major force in Myeong-dong’s retail scene—have declined, while more independent travelers from the Millennials and Gen Z travelers are visiting S. Korea with friends or family,” a retail industry official said.

According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, 85% of foreign visitors in 2023 were independent travelers, up 9.4 percentage points from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the same period, the share of group travelers fell by 6.7 percentage points.

The nationalities of visitors are also diversifying beyond China and Japan, with more tourists coming from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Social media posts from these travelers frequently mention visits to Myeong-dong with captions like “Here to find authentic Korean goods” and “Shopping for new Korean releases.” One foreign YouTuber said, “I go to supermarkets in Myeong-dong to find the latest Korean products that haven’t been imported to my country yet.”

Therefore, major S. Korean food companies are ramping up K-food marketing efforts to target foreign tourists in Myeong-dong. Convenience stores in the area have set up tables shaped like popular instant noodle brands, including Buldak bokkeum-myeon (Buldak Ramen), Shin Ramyun, and Jin Ramyun.

In October, food giant Nongshim created a “K-ramyun zone” inside a Myeong-dong supermarket, where visitors can cook and eat Shin Ramyun, Neoguri, and other instant noodles on the store’s second floor.

Retailers catering to foreign visitors, such as Olive Young and Daiso, are also expanding their food sections at their Myeong-dong locations.

At Olive Young’s Myeong-dong Town branch, where more than 90% of sales come from foreign customers, one display shelf is fully stocked with private-label snacks such as Delight Project bagel chips, seaweed crisps, and yakgwa (traditional Korean honey cookies). Similarly, Daiso’s Myeong-dong Station branch has dedicated one of its 12 floors entirely to food, selling snacks and packaged goods.