Hyundai Outlet Dongdaemun to Undergo Major Renovation, Targeting Foreign Shoppers

Hyundai Outlet Dongdaemun is set to undergo a comprehensive renovation after ten years of operation. The plan aims to enhance offerings that appeal to foreign tourists, focusing on Korean cuisine, K-Fashion, and beauty products, establishing the outlet as a premier shopping and tourism hub in Dongdaemun.
 
On July 2, Hyundai Department Store announced that it will renovate four floors, from the basement level two to the second floor, by the end of the year. The total renovation area will be approximately 14,800 square meters, equivalent to the size of two soccer fields, with over 60 domestic and international fashion, beauty, and food brands set to open.
 
The first area to be revamped will be the food court on basement level two, scheduled to open in September. This space will span about 4,595 square meters and will be designed to resemble a traditional Korean market, featuring a 'market alley' concept.
 
The layout will mimic narrow alleys and include varied elevations to provide foreign tourists with an authentic experience of Korean food culture and everyday market scenes.
 
The food court will host around 30 food and beverage brands, including Korean cuisine brands like Apgujeong Dosirak and Gwanghwamun Mijin, as well as Terra Rosa, Japanese bakery Ekinomae, and Mexican restaurant Kuchara.
 
The first basement level will transform into a 'K-Fashion Specialty Hall,' prominently featuring domestic fashion brands. More than half of the brands will be local, with over ten brands, including Hago House and Rue de Vivre, set to debut starting in August.
 
The ground floor will focus on beauty and health-related content. The second floor will feature Hyundai Home Shopping's beauty concept store 'Coasis' and a pharmacy-style health and beauty shop, targeting foreign tourists' demand for K-beauty and health products.
 
Stores catering to the unique late-night shopping demand in Dongdaemun will also be established. The hot pot restaurant 'Yongga Hot Pot' is expected to open on the first basement level in October, with plans to operate until midnight.
 
Facilities for foreign visitors will also be expanded. A global service lounge that combines tax refund and currency exchange services will be enhanced on the first basement level, and new kiosks exclusively for foreign tourists will be introduced.
 
The motivation behind this large-scale renovation is the rapid increase in foreign customers. From January to May this year, foreign sales at Hyundai Outlet Dongdaemun surged by 122% compared to the same period last year, accounting for 23.7% of total sales.
 
The proportion of foreign sales has tripled compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of tourists visiting Dongdaemun has also risen. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of foreign visitors to Euljiro-dong in Jung-gu, Seoul, reached 318,304 in April, a 16.8% increase from the previous year.
 
This surge in foreign tourists is not limited to Dongdaemun. In the first quarter of this year, 4.76 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, marking a 23% increase from the same period last year, the highest number recorded for a first quarter.
 
During the same period, foreign card spending in South Korea also rose by 23%. The influx of tourists from not only China and Japan but also Taiwan, the United States, and Europe indicates a diversification in the inbound tourism market.
 
A representative from Hyundai Department Store stated, "As a variety of global tourists are coming in, we will develop Hyundai Outlet Dongdaemun into a representative shopping destination in Seoul."