[Community Discovery] Bringing the vibe back: Yongsan strives to revive Itaewon

From rebranding projects to collaborations with chefs, influencers, district office looks to help businesses get back on their feet

Pedestrians walk around World Food Street in Itaewon at Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. (Yongsan-gu Office)

Choi Jeong-kyu, CEO of Jonny Dumpling, a Shandong-style dumpling restaurant located in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, reflects on the challenging days his business has faced since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the tragic crowd crush incident nearly two years ago.

The local restaurant, well known for its half-moon-shaped dumplings, faced a significant decline in customers over the past four years. However, it has gradually regained its footing after being selected as one of 30 representative local brands in a Yongsan-gu Office project aimed at reviving struggling businesses in the once tragedy-hit district.

“I hope that the 30 local businesses will be able to create positive synergy with one another through scheduled collaborative events that can help to revitalize our businesses and Itaewon as a whole," he said.

Jonny Dumpling, a Shandong-style dumpling restaurant famous for its half-moon-shaped dumplings, sits in Itaewon at Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. (Lee Jung-joo/The Korea Herald)

The branding project involves 30 local enterprises -- including 20 restaurants, three clothing retailers and seven entertainment venues, such as bars and clubs -- that have solely run their businesses for years.

According to the Yongsan-gu Office, the 30 businesses were chosen based on surveys and evaluations by visitors to the area and business experts. The district office plans to work with the businesses through 2025 to enhance not only its own brand value, but also to raise Itaewon’s brand value.

The 30 local enterprises were announced as a part of the “Hey Itaewon” project, which the Yongsan-gu Office has worked on with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups since March last year.

At first, the district office introduced cash vouchers that could be used like cash with a 20 percent discount at local businesses in Itaewon, which significantly contributed to raising the local businesses’ sales numbers. It has also hosted a number of local events, such as food festivals featuring a variety of global cuisines and live performances to maintain a steady number of visitors to Itaewon.

This year, the district office has upgraded its business revival project with the goal of rebranding Itaewon into what it calls a “glocal” neighborhood.

Combining "global" and "local," the district office hopes for businesses in Itaewon in the future to embrace the glocal trend, as it hopes that the neighborhood can become an environment that is globally open and welcoming to all with unique, local businesses that can only be found in Itaewon.

With that in mind, the Yongsan-gu Office has designated “Welcome all Itaewon” as the brand slogan for Itaewon’s local businesses and the neighborhood, to establish it as a place where “anyone and everyone can feel comfortable just the way they are.”

Party-goers dance to the music at Nyapi, a club based in Itaewon that carries on the intellectual legacy as the second-generation club in the neighborhood. Nyapi is one of the seven entertainment businesses chosen by the Yongsan-gu Office as one of the 30 "local brands" that demonstrate Itaewon's uniqueness. (Instagram @nyapi_seoul)

Moving on

The district office aims to take the initiative to the next level with collaborative projects between businesses and influencers or power brands to increase the businesses’ awareness and competencies to the general public this fall.

Though details regarding collaborations cannot be disclosed yet, a Yongsan-gu Office official told The Korea Herald that some examples of possible projects include “restaurants coming up with menus with celebrity chefs, clothing stores selling limited edition clothes designed by famous designers, musicians or fashion directors, as well as inviting filmmakers to develop short films and advertisements about the local businesses and Itaewon.”

The district office also plans to conduct promotional events in collaboration with “power brands” whose identity matches well with Itaewon’s culture.

In addition to last year's local events, the Yongsan-gu Office plans to hold more such festivities that “demonstrate Itaewon’s fun and exciting experiences.” The district office already hosted an event of a similar nature on June 15, with two more to be held in September and November this year. Future events in Itaewon will feature live performances as well as talk shows and a pop-up store, including works designed by local artists based in Itaewon.

A disco aerobics performance takes place during the "Pre-Summer Picnic Festival" in Itaewon at Yongsan-gu, central Seoul on June 15. (Yongsan-gu Office)

Through December, the district office also hopes to brainstorm further marketing and promotional tactics to make better use of Itaewon’s local businesses to promote the neighborhood’s touristic value to tourists from overseas. An Instagram account for events and everything about Itaewon has helped the district target “a wider audience.”

“With the businesses that make Itaewon unique at the center of attention and many other events and promotional projects the district office has in line, the Yongsan-gu Office hopes to brand Itaewon as a global commercial district known by all,” Gong Gyeong-eon, an official at the Yongsan-gu Office, told The Korea Herald.

This article is the tenth installment in a series of feature stories and interviews that delve deeper into the hidden stories of Seoul’s 25 districts. -- Ed.

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)