[The Public = Margrarita Kichukova] Apgujeong café destrict is just about 100m away from Dosan Park.
In spite of the early evening, in front of one of the Makgeoli restaurants - which is now a symbol of Apgujeong Rodeo destrict - is having a traffic jam because of customers.
One side of the congested road is crowded with people in their 20s and 30s looking excited.
There are already restaurants with long queues. Despite the rather muggy weather, a pleasant atmosphere and refreshing energy emanate from the passers, even wearing a mask.
Although the aftermath of COVID-19 is not yet over, Apgujeong Rodeo Street seems to have deviated from the shock.
According to the Korea Real Estate Agency, the vacancy rate of mid- to large-sized shopping malls in the Apgujeong commercial district in the first quarter of this year was 10.3%, down 4.4 percentage points from the same period last year (14.7%). This is in contrast to the fact that the vacancy rate of shopping malls in existing core commercial districts such as Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Itaewon increased significantly before and after COVID-19.
Apgujeong Rodeo Street, the Mecca of youth, has been revived.
The reason why the expression ‘resurrection’ is used is because that Apgujeong Rodeo Street has undergone unique changes that cannot be found in other commercial areas in Korea.
From the 1990s to the early 2000s, the Apgujeong commercial district, which was one of the top three shopping districts in Seoul and the number one fashion district in Korea, has established itself as a fashion center for uniquely designed clothes and shoes.
In particular, from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, while advocating itself for ‘the Rodeo Street of Beverly Hills’, It is also famous as the place where the children of wealthy people, called “orange people,” roamed the streets of this area.
In the 1990s, Apgujeong Rodeo Street was the best “hot place” of all time.
In 1988, Korea’s first McDonald’s and ‘Jardin’, Korea’s first coffee bean specialty store, opened, serving as the cradle of a new culture.
It has emerged as a sanctuary for hip youngsters as it reflects the exotic taste and luxurious atmosphere spread from foreign students.
In particular, as the Galleria Department Store Luxury Hall was built across the street and the Cheongdam-dong Luxury Street was created on the right, it became a mecca for ‘paeppy (fashion people)’. Until the 1990s, it was difficult to find imported clothes or expensive luxury goods outside of Apgujeong's commercial district. young people chasing trends constantly flocked in. High-end cafes and restaurants aimed at them also opened one after another.
The prosperous Apgujeong Rodeo Street, however, began to decline rapidly after the mid-2000s. The commercial district began to collapse as the existing shops left one after another because they could not afford the rent.
The appearance of a new commercial district called Garosu-gil nearby also caused the decline of Apgujeong Rodeo Street. The Korean Wave and medical tourism attracted many Chinese tourists to Garosu-gil, and stores and popular franchise companies entered the market, absorbing the demand of the younger generation.
In addition, new consumer commercial districts such as Gyeongridan-gil, Seochon, and Seongsu-dong have also risen rapidly. As a result, clothing stores and multi-shops unique to Apgujeong Rodeo Street were also closed one by one, becoming a commercial area where there was no reason to visit. Apgujeong Rodeo Street, which had been forgotten by locals and foreigners in this way, is recovering its former reputation as it goes through COVID-19.
The splendid comeback of Apgujeong Rodeo can be summarized in three main reasons.
First of all, diversification of the commercial area portfolio has been made. The number of restaurants on Rodeo Street in Apgujeong has increased sharply along with the rent cut.
When Apgujeong Rodeo Street was in full swing, building owners preferred businesses such as clothing and general merchandise stores, so they did not welcome restaurants.
However, as the number of vacancies increased and it became difficult to find tenants, building owners began to actively receive restaurant rentals.
At the same time, famous chefs who were worried about expensive rent in the Dosan Park area and Cheongdam-dong chose Apgujeong Rodeo Street as an alternative, and a restaurant street was formed naturally. As stores with ‘young sensibility’ opened one after another, the influx of young consumers in their 20s and 30s continued.
As a result, in the past, the shopping district was dominated by clothing stores and retail stores, but now the restaurant business is leading the Apgujeong Rodeo Street commercial district.
Lee Seung-hoon, CEO of Baekgom Makgeolli, which is considered to be the number one contributor to the revival of Apgujeong Rodeo Street, said, “When I looked around this commercial area to find a place to open a store in 2016, there were a lot of vacancies. Dozens of shops that deserve Michelin Stars were hidden all over the place. It looked bleak on the outside, but I saw that there was an opportunity, so I bet a match, and it was a hit. Now, there are more than 10 bars around Baekgom Makgeolli, and it has become a representative bar street.”
The wine bar ‘MokTanJang’, which opened in May of last year, is breaking the record for monthly sales despite the COVID-19 crisis.
The second reason is the entry of stores for the MZ generation.
The opening of ‘Anchor Store’ (a famous store that represents a specific commercial area which shoots down the tastes of the MZ generation, which has emerged as the main consumer, has also revitalized the street.
One of the strengths of Apgujeong Rodeo Street is that there are many stores that can only be found here.
It is attracting the attention of the MZ generation as select shops with unique concepts are constantly popping up.
There is also an interesting analysis that overseas students who returned to Korea due to COVID-19 flocked to Apgujeong Rodeo Street, sparking a revitalization of the commercial district.
It is said that Apgujeong Rodeo Street has become an alternative as Itaewon, where international students mainly gathered and played in the early stages of the spread of COVID-19, was hit directly. Considering that Apgujeong Rodeo Street used to be a sacred place for the “Orange people” in the past, this means that it has been around for over 30 years.
Lastly, the active cooperation of local governments served as a strong support force.
Since May of last year, Gangnam-gu Office has been actively engaged in nighttime landscape improvement projects to restore the past reputation of Apgujeong Rodeo Street and create a unique pedestrian environment. At the end of the year, a large Christmas tree was installed at the entrance of the street, and each street tree was decorated with a model of the Milky Way and a sculpture representing the street to please the eyes of visitors. In particular, to revitalize Apgujeong Rodeo Street as a tourist attraction, a media façade with a chandelier design and security lights to help safe walking were installed in 24 places by section. Street performances are also organized every year.
With this reason, Apgujeong Rodeo has a small park called Dosan Park.
Dosan Park is a must-visit place when visiting Apgujeong Rodeo. There is also a memorial hall of Ahn Chang-ho, who led the independence movement during the Japanese colonial period in Korea.
In Apgujeong Rodeo, after eating at a restaurant, before having a cup of tea, it is considered as a must-walking course worth stopping by.
It is a rare to see a park in Gangnam. Even though it is much smaller than Central Park, it is still a good place for a walk.
Also, Apgujeong Rodeo Station is a representative art tour destination in Gangnam.
There are many spots near the station where you can appreciate the exhibitions of international artists.
Art spaces such as the newly opened König Seoul Gallery, Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul, Atelier Hermés, Hyundai Motor Studio, Songeun Art Space, and L.933 are related to companies, but the exhibition is thoroughly based on artistry. Most of places have cafés inside, and there is no entrance fee.
◇ espas louis vuitton seoul
If you walk up in the direction of Cheongdam Intersection, you will find Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul.
Opened in October 2019, architect Frank Gehry designed the building for the first time in Korea.
The 1st to 3rd floors are the flagship stores where you can purchase Louis Vuitton's clothes and accessories, and the 4th floor has an exhibition hall.
◇ Atelier Hermés
Dosan Park, the place full of trees, is good for a walk even in midsummer.
There are also many art spots near Dosan Park, and Atelier Hermés, run by the famous fashion brand Hermés, is located here.
On the 1st to 3rd floors of Maison Hermes Dosan Park, which opened in 2006, you can find Hermés clothes and accessories. If you go downstairs, you can find Café Madang and Atelier Hermés.
The Maison Hermés Dosan Park was designed by Rena Dumas, the wife of Jean-Louis Dumas, the fifth-generation of the Hermés family.
The glass hexahedron building shining in golden light is exotic, but the interior courtyard and stairs are inspired by Hanok.
It is no exaggeration to say that Atelier Hermés is the 'Mecca of contemporary art'.
Since 2000, it has been hosting the Hermés Foundation Art Award and actively supporting the work of young Korean artists.
◇ Hyundai Motorstudio Seoul
Lastly, we introduce HYUNDAI MOTOR STUDIO SEOUL.
There are still many people who do not know about this place where cars hang upside down from glass windows at Dosan Intersection.
Hyundai Motorstudio Seoul, opened in 2014, is a space that offers a new automobile culture experience.
Hyundai Motor Company's support for contemporary art in each country is understood as a donation activity to imprint the name Hyundai Motor Company to people.
Various special exhibitions are held at Hyundai Motor Studio at all times, and various contents - not limited to car design but throughout the design of everyday life - convey the aspiration and context of Hyundai Motor to create a means of transportation with various forms and functions.
Visitors can directly see, hear, and experience the content provided by the studio, and indirectly experience Hyundai Motor's future vision.
Hyundai Motor effectively promotes the company's business direction and technology without borrowing the fame of famous celebrities or without lengthy explanations from the CEO.
The sensuous promotion of culture and art allows the audience to understand Hyundai Motor's 'intention' without any objection.
A Hyundai Motor official explained, “Hyundai Motor Studio is a differentiated space where customers can experience Hyundai’s brand in various ways through cultural and artistic contents that reflect Hyundai’s brand vision and direction.”
For further details, please refer to the YouTube video.
[Image by Margarita Kichukova]
The Public / Margarita Kichukova webmaster@thepublic.kr
더퍼블릭 / Margarita Kichukova webmaster@thepublic.kr