Kyung Dong Market is a traditional market located in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. The market was opened in 1960 and has undergone several changes throughout its development into the traditional market it is today. 

As commercial agriculture emerged in the late 1960s, due to the influence of industrialization, the products that were shipped to the market began to reflect locality which contributed to its shift into a specialty market. 
 

In 1985, Kyung Dong Building was completed, expanding the size of the market. Additionally, the largest ginseng market in Korea was opened to form an herbal medicine market, and it grew day by day as seafood shops and clothing stores were also opened. As such, Kyung Dong Market has grown into a significant wholesale and retail market, serving not only Seoul but also the entire country.

However, traditional markets in Korea have not been able to keep up with the changing times, because they do not usually accept payment methods such as credit cards and because of a lack of reliability in products and ease of access. Thus, Kyung Dong Market is pushing for a change to a space where tradition and youth can coexist in line with these demands for social and historical changes. It is undergoing efforts to transform itself into a complex cultural space for family customers. 

Recently, Kyung Dong Market has been called “Playground for MZ Generation” and has become a trendy destination for the 2030 generation. The market also pursues “New-tro,” a combination of two words “new” and “retro,” which refers to “modernized retro.” The UOS Times would like to introduce the readers to some attractive spots in Kyung Dong Market.    

Stores in Kyung Dong Market

Kyung Dong Market has various items both inside and outside the market including agricultural, fishery, livestock products, fruits, nuts, dried fish, and herbal medicines. There are also various eating places in which visitors can have fun looking around the market. Visitors can enjoy a useful and convenient market outing where they can buy all the food they need at once.

Starbucks Kyungdong 1960

Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 is a theater-themed café with distinct characteristics from other Starbucks stores. On the third floor of the main building of Kyung Dong Market, visitors can find a door of the store that resembles the entrance to a theater. Starbucks Kyungdong 1960 changed the interior of the Kyungdong Theater, which had been abandoned for more than 20 years. It displays 200 terraced seats and installation art. An area where the theater stage was located is maintained as a performance stage, and instead of theater screens, the Starbucks ordering and manufacturing stands are located on the front of the store. 

Additionally, the wooden structure of Kyung Dong Theater, built in the 1960s, is preserved on the ceiling. The movie projector has not been removed but is being used to inform customers of prepared drinks. Moreover, if visitors buy coffee or goods at Starbucks Kyungdong 1960, 300 won per item will be accumulated as a market win-win fund. This retro sensibility was enough to capture the MZ generation beyond the fun of looking for traces of an old theater. 

Geumseong Radio Refresh Center by LG Electronics

Geumseong Radio Refresh Center by LG Electronics is a space transformed from the ticket office and snack bar of Kyungdong Theater. This place is a retro-themed experience area by LG Electronics, and there are free contents where visitors who are tired of their daily lives can “refresh” their hearts. It includes an exhibition hall displaying the first home appliances since the establishment of Geumseong Company, and an experience zone featuring the latest home appliances currently available for sale. Geumseong Company, which was called Gold Star in English, is the old name of LG Electronics. 

Visitors can also take pet plants as a gift, customize their laptop to their likings, play games with arcade game machines, and enjoy an escape room. All activities except the escape room can be experienced free of charge after registering as a member on site. As for the escape room, guests can participate by making a reservation in advance after signing up as a member online. The Refresh Center also sells recyclable goods, of which all profits are used as a regional economic win-win fund in Kyung Dong Market. 

Kyung Dong Market Youth Mall

Youth Mall in Kyung Dong Market is part of the Small Enterprise and Market Service’s project to establish a mall exclusively for self-employed people under the age of 39 to renovate the atmosphere of traditional markets. It was opened in 2019 with the aim of reducing the cost burden of rent and premium for young people who want to start a business. 

Furthermore, Youth Mall has a goal of attracting customers to traditional markets through the brilliant ideas of young entrepreneurs. Seoul Family in the Youth Mall is filled with a variety of food, desserts, and experiences where customers can enjoy attractions and experiences in a beautifully decorated space as well as unique and delicious food. 

As such, Kyung Dong Market is making various efforts to revitalize and attract young people to traditional markets. This can be seen as a part of capturing the MZ generation that has recently shown interest in the retro trend. Recently, as more people in their 20s and 30s visit these places, the number of young customers in the market is naturally increasing. Kyung Dong Market is taking a step forward in the coexistence of tradition and youth in society. Why not plan a visit to Kyung Dong Market and experience a distinctive blend of tradition and youth? 

Yim Soo-min
dlatnals@uos.ac.kr