Generation Z and millennials have emerged as the main consumer groups in Korea. More recently, the popularity of K-pop, K-dramas, and K-food has led to a growing interest in Korean culture abroad. What Do Young Koreans Do series introduces the places, foods, brands, activities, and content that young Koreans are seeking out right now. [Editor’s Note]
Cho Min-kyung, a 29-year-old English teacher, is among the many Koreans enthusiastic about the recent trend of pop-up stores. “I have always believed in the power of space, which is why I started my career at a fashion brand that regularly renews its stores based on its concept,” she said. “Even after leaving the industry, I still find it fun to observe how brands infuse their identity into a limited space.”
Among the pop-ups she explored this month, Cho highlighted her favorite, the one by the eyewear brand Gentle Monster. “The concept was titled ‘Gentle High School,’ and the interior was designed to look like a real high school locker room,” she explained. “Visitors could try on the latest products with provided school uniforms and take pictures.”
However, Cho’s visits to pop-up stores extend beyond mere browsing and photography. She pointed out, “Brands often use pop-ups to launch limited edition products or offer freebies to their first-come, first-served customers, and I’m interested in these deals. And when it comes to bakery pop-ups, I go solely to purchase baked goods.”
Pop-up stores are rapidly gaining popularity in Korea, becoming a ubiquitous presence across the landscape. In November, 2023, The Hyundai Seoul’s basement, a highly coveted pop-up space in Seoul, hosted over 160 pop-ups, exemplifying the widespread embrace of this trend. Seongsu-dong, also known as Seoul’s “pop-up mecca,” boasted 53 pop-ups during the fourth week of November (Nov. 20-26).
Originally introduced in Korea in 2009 to showcase new products in the fashion, retail, and food sectors, pop-up stores have undergone a transformative evolution over the years. They have transitioned into spaces that offer a distinctive brand experience, consequently becoming a “must-have” phenomenon across various industries.
This shift in the role of pop-up stores has resonated particularly well with young Koreans. Innocean, a global advertising agency based in Seoul, recently reported that the number of searches for pop-up stores between 2021 and 2022 amounted to 11.5 million. Notably, most searches originated from individuals aged between 20-24 years, followed by 25-29 year olds, 13-19 year olds, and 30-34 year olds. Commonly used search terms included words like photography, space, café, experience, exhibition, and photo zone in conjunction with pop-up stores.
A survey conducted by Careet, a Korean trend analysis service, revealed that young Koreans perceive pop-up stores as enjoyable experiences, likening them to exhibitions, movie theaters, and restaurants. One respondent even mentioned that visiting a pop-up store has become a part of their daily routine, akin to going to a cute café when heading out.
The once-exclusive hotspots favored by young Koreans are now drawing attention from foreign visitors as well. Seongdong-gu, encompassing Seongsu-dong, recorded a substantial influx of foreign tourists, with 613,464 in 2019, 95,557 in 2020, 79,077 in 2021, and 221,091 in 2022, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. Despite a temporary decline during the pandemic, the area has transformed into a ‘hip sanctuary,’ particularly gaining momentum after the opening of a Dior concept store in 2022. Industry insiders note that the majority of visitors are fashion-conscious twenty-somethings.
An employee at the flagship store of cosmetics brand Tamburins, located across from the Dior store, remarked, “They come from so many different places now: the US, Europe, and the Middle East.” In response to the surging number of young foreign visitors, Seongdong-gu took proactive measures, inaugurating a tourist information center inside Seongsu Station on Line 2 on Nov. 16 and deploying professional interpreters.
The Hyundai Seoul has also solidified its status as a favored destination for foreign visitors to Korea. In fact, foreign sales at The Hyundai Seoul witnessed a 891.7 percent increase in the first 11 months of this year, following a 731.1 percent year-on-year surge in 2022.
“I came across the Christmas Market pop-up on social media and decided to visit The Hyundai Seoul with eight of my friends on Nov. 25,” shared Vita, a 35-year-old Chinese woman. “We got there right at the opening time of 10:30 AM and only had to wait for 30 minutes to get in.”
Vita was fortunate. The annual Christmas Market pop-up at The Hyundai Seoul is renowned for having a minimum three to four-hour wait at the door without a reservation. Two Korean university students the reporter encountered while waiting to enter the pop-up on Nov. 28 mentioned they “dedicated their entire day to be here.”
“I even took a day off from work to come here,” added another visitor in her 20s.
