A view of Hyundai Outlets Dongdaemun in Jung District, central SeoulHYUNDAI DEPARTMENT STORE
Hyundai Outlets Dongdaemun Store in Jung District, central Seoul, will undergo its first major renovation since opening in 2016, as the retailer seeks to attract a growing number of foreign tourists by expanding its K-content offerings and adding a large food court.
Around 60 domestic and international fashion, beauty and food brands will be added, while four floors — from the second basement level through the second floor — will be renovated in phases by the end of the year, according to an announcement by the Hyundai Department Store on July 2.
The renovation will cover 14,800 square meters (159,300 square feet). The centerpiece of the project will be a new food hall designed around the concept of a traditional alley market on the second basement level, scheduled to open in September.
It will house around 30 domestic and international food and beverage brands, including the Korean restaurant Doseulbak in southern Seoul’s Apgujeong, Gangwon’s Gangneung-based coffee roaster Terarosa, the Japanese-style bakery Ekinomae and the Mexican restaurant chain Cuchara.
The first basement level will be transformed into a dedicated K-fashion zone. Over half of the stores will be occupied by Korean fashion brands. Famous domestic fashion labels HAGO Haus and Loeuvre are also to open.
On the second floor, Hyundai Home Shopping's beauty curation shop Coasis and a pharmacy-style health and beauty store will also open.
People fill Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul for Seoul Fashion Week 2026 S/S on Sept. 5, 2025.NEWS1
The outlet will also expand services for foreign visitors.
A renovated global service lounge offering both tax refund and currency exchange services is scheduled to open later this year, while self-service kiosks dedicated to foreign customers will be installed.
The renovation is aimed at capturing rapidly growing demand from international shoppers.
Sales to foreign customers at Hyundai Outlets Dongdaemun rose 122 percent during the January-May period compared with the same period last year. Foreign shoppers accounted for 23.7 percent of the outlet's total sales during the period.
The number of foreign visitors to the Dongdaemun area has also continued to rise.
The outlet's neighborhood of Euljiro-dong in Jung District, central Seoul, recorded 318,304 foreign visitors in April, up 16.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.
"Dongdaemun is being rediscovered not simply as a shopping district but as a destination where foreign tourists can experience everyday life in Korea," a Hyundai Department Store representative said. "We plan to position Hyundai Outlets Dongdaemun as one of Seoul's leading shopping destinations."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
