Seoul’s Myeong-dong holds lead as South Korea’s tourist shopping hub

SEOUL – Seoul’s Jung-gu, home to Myeong-dong, captured nearly a quarter of foreign-card spending for shopping in South Korea in the second quarter of 2026, increasing its share even as foreign visitor numbers grew faster in the other Seoul areas of Seongsu-dong and Yeouido.Purchases made with foreign-issued credit cards at department stores, outlets, duty-free shops, large supermarkets, convenience stores and souvenir shops totalled 2.36 trillion won (S$2.23 billion) nationwide, including 568.4 billion won in Jung-gu, according to Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) data.The district’s share rose to 24.1 per cent from 20 per cent a year earlier.Jung-gu, which includes Myeong-dong and Sogong-dong, is home to flagship Lotte and Shinsegae department stores, downtown duty-free shops and numerous fashion stores, making it a major shopping hub for tourists.The concentration was more pronounced at department stores, outlets and large supermarkets.Jung-gu accounted for 38 per cent of nationwide foreign-card spending at those establishments in the second quarter, recording 385.5 billion won out of a total of 1.02 trillion won.A separate analysis by Lotte Members using KTO data for May 2026 found that Myeong-dong alone accounted for 27.8 per cent of nationwide spending by foreigners.Myeong-dong was followed by Seongsu-dong at 5.7 percent, Jamsil-dong at 4.6 per cent and Yeouido-dong at 3.2 per cent.KTO data also showed the rising popularity of Seongsu-dong and Yeouido as destinations for foreign visitors.The number of foreign visitors to Seongdong-gu, which includes Seongsu-dong, rose 60.2 per cent from a year earlier, while Yeongdeungpo-gu, home to Yeouido, recorded a 27.6 per cent increase. Both exceeded Jung-gu’s visitor growth of 25.5 per cent.The figures suggest that faster growth in foreign visitors to Seongsu-dong and Yeouido has not displaced Jung-gu’s position as a major shopping hub.“With department stores that house luxury boutiques, the Myeong-dong area is maintaining its status as a shopping hub where visits translate into actual purchases,” an industry official said. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK