A Shift in Seoul's Commercial Landscape: Ikseon-dong and Euljiro Are Rising

Ikseon-dong in Jongno District and Euljiro in Jung-gu, Seoul, which have emerged as popular spots for people in their 20s and 30s, have seen nearly 200 new dining outlets open over the past five years. In contrast, growth in Seoul's traditional dining districts such as Gangnam and Yeouido has stalled, accelerating the city's shifting commercial landscape.
According to an analysis by this newspaper of data from the Seoul City Commercial District Analysis Service on the 23rd, the number of dining outlets in the Ikseon-dong and Euljiro commercial areas has grown sharply over the past five years. The number of new dining outlets in Ikseon-dong increased by 115, while Euljiro added 85. That means a total of 200 outlets opened in just these two districts.
By year, Ikseon-dong had 689 outlets in 2022, 715 in 2023, 753 in 2024, 810 in 2025, and 804 in the first quarter of this year. Over the same period, Euljiro recorded 427, 455, 487, 509 and 512 outlets, respectively. The growth trend has continued over the past year as well. In Ikseon-dong, the number of dining outlets rose by 31, from 773 in the first quarter of last year to 804 in the first quarter of this year.
The key consumer group driving growth in these districts is people in their 20s and 30s. As of the first quarter of this year, age-based sales shares in Euljiro stood at 32.5% for those in their 30s and 21.1% for those in their 20s, totaling 53.6%. In Ikseon-dong, people in their 30s accounted for 29.9% of sales, while those in their 20s made up 19.5%, or 49.4% combined. The once middle-aged-dominated areas of Ikseon-dong and Euljiro have now fully transformed into hot spots for younger consumers.
By contrast, traditional commercial districts such as Gangnam and Yeouido posted disappointing results. The number of dining outlets in Yeouido rose by just two, from 5,729 in 2022 to 5,731 in the first quarter of this year. Over the same period, Gangnam added only 15 outlets, from 1,275 to 1,290. Analysts say high rents and a commercial mix centered on standardized franchises have failed to keep up with changing consumption trends among younger consumers.
Lee Eun-hee, a professor in the Department of Consumer Science at Inha University, said, "This is the result of the combined influence of social media, visual appeal and younger generations' preference for something different." She added, "Ikseon-dong and Euljiro, where tradition and modernity coexist, appear to have benefited greatly from the so-called 'newtro' effect."



[email protected] Park Kyung-ho Kim Seo-yeon Reporter