Dongdaemun is one of South Korea’s most popular retail destinations, renowned for giant malls, trendy fashion labels, and a virtual frenzy of 24-hour shopping. This 10-block stretch of Seoul is jam-packed with over 30,000 stores featuring everything from luxury goods to the latest K-style trends. Tens of thousands of people flock to the area’s 26 malls on a daily basis for a dose of retail therapy, but there’s more to this dynamic district than just shopping. Dongdaemun is awash with history, culture, and art, and the neighborhood is famed for the cutting-edge architecture of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which has modernized the area’s aesthetic.
Official maps of the city district labeled Dongdaemun-gu show the neighborhood to the east of what is commonly referred to as Dongdaemun. While that area is filled with residential neighborhoods, local parks, and universities, make no mistake that it’s the expanse around Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Heunginjimun (aka Dongdaemun) Gate that most people visualize when they think of this vibrant commercial district. Effectively, small corners of what is officially Jongno-gu and Jung-gu are what is commonly recognized as Dongdaemun.
Dongdaemun’s history goes back hundreds of years, with the most famous material evidence being the Joseon-era Seoul City Wall. This 14th-century fortress wall studded by the magnificent Great East Gate (aka Heunginjimun/Dongdaemun) passes through what is now Dongdaemun Square and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park. Excavations have also shown the area to contain government buildings, water collection facilities, wells, and an armory over the past few hundred years until it was used as a military training ground during the Japanese Occupation during the 20th century. After the conclusion of the Korean War in 1953, the area became a haven for North Korean refugees who worked in the textile trade and made clothing from discarded military tents and uniforms. Over time, stall fronts turned into markets, markets developed into malls, and the area blossomed into the energetic retail hub it is today.
