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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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 Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 6:58 pm Post subject: IFC Mall opens in Seoul |
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http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/shop/ifc-mall-opens-seoul-319768
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Seoul�s Yeouido financial district finally offers major shopping and entertainment in the midst of all those shiny skyscrapers, in the form of the new US$2.2-billion IFC Mall Seoul.
The mall opens today following its final few days of frenzied construction.
The self-proclaimed �first international-style shopping mall in Korea� is one of the most ambitious retail projects in Korea in recent years, with 100 brands spread out over three lower levels totaling 40,000 square meters of floor space.
In addition to Korea�s first Hollister store and a Banana Republic flagship store, the mall also houses a nine-theater CGV complex, 35 new restaurants and the first Apple outlet (Frisbee) in southwest Seoul.
Developed by AIG Global Real Estate Development in conjunction with Seoul City and operated by Taubman Asia, the mall is part of the larger IFC project, which includes two office towers and Conrad Seoul Hotel, which is slated to open in November.
AIG invested US$440 million of the project's total cost of approximately US$2.2 billion.
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One problem.
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While the organizers stressed the convenience of how the mall is connected to subway lines 5 and 9 via a moving walkway, be warned -- the distance to the mall from the exit at Youido Station on Line 5 is actually around two kilometers.
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highstreet
Joined: 13 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Not really a problem IMO |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| I imagine traffic to that already congested area won't be improving anytime soon... |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Is there a full list of stores and restaurants anywhere online? I couldn't find anything on the official website. |
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alongway
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 2:39 am Post subject: |
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| While the organizers stressed the convenience of how the mall is connected to subway lines 5 and 9 via a moving walkway, be warned -- the distance to the mall from the exit at Youido Station on Line 5 is actually around two kilometers. |
That's a bit far..
they should put in a shuttle bus for that kind of distance.
but it also seems totally wrong.
Unless it takes the scenic route.
Exit 3 from The station to the front of the block according to Daum measuring tools is only 577m. How can it be 2km? |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:53 am Post subject: |
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| The mall seems closer to Yeouinaru station. I am also thinking it could be yet another failed mall since it is part of the Korean government's misguided plan to make Yeouido a financial hub of N.E. Asia. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:39 am Post subject: |
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I went there tonight. I thought it was a very nice mall. It has an open, modern design with a large number and good variety of shops and restaurants, both domestic and international. It was also packed. Granted, it was the opening weekend, but I still feel confident saying that this mall will take off without problem.
As for Yeouido being a financial hub... Well, in a way, it has been one for over 20 years. And the IFC helps mitigate Seoul's problem of not having enough A-grade office space. Now only if they could get the Park1 project across the street going again.... |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
I went there tonight. I thought it was a very nice mall. It has an open, modern design with a large number and good variety of shops and restaurants, both domestic and international. It was also packed. Granted, it was the opening weekend, but I still feel confident saying that this mall will take off without problem.
As for Yeouido being a financial hub... Well, in a way, it has been one for over 20 years. And the IFC helps mitigate Seoul's problem of not having enough A-grade office space. Now only if they could get the Park1 project across the street going again.... |
You can't just plan to have a financial hub. Since I've come here in 1994, Korean presidents have pledged similar things without success. If anything, Korea is an IT hub of Asia but not the hub of Asia or financial hub. Seoul is nowhere near Hong Kong or Singapore in global finance, and Shanghai promises to be the true financial and biz hub of Asia in a few years.
Korea has tried quite a number of poorly thought out and managed plans to make itself something it can probably never be. For example, Korea wants to be a medical tourism hub but Thailand has been one for many years. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| Korea has tried quite a number of poorly thought out and managed plans to make itself something it can probably never be. For example, Korea wants to be a medical tourism hub but Thailand has been one for many years. |
From what I understand, a lot of Chinese and Japanese people do come to Korea for cosmetic surgery. I'm sure Thailand gets more medical tourism, but that doesn't mean Korea isn't a medical tourism destination too. |
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Jonephant
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| My wife's boss took all his employees there on the opening day and gave them all 100,000 won to spend at hollister. Apparently they have their flagship store there. She said the shops are all the usual suspects and the restaurants too. They ate at "On The Border". She was not impressed. |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| They ate at "On The Border". She was not impressed. |
OOhh, Mexican? Any new Mexican place is at least worth a look. They can't do their fajitas much worse than Tomatillo [oh, how I rue their kimchi-fied pork tacos!]. The question is whether they have butchered the proper Tex-Mex of a real On the Border in the interests of appealing to Koreans and their so-called tastes.
This PLUS a Banana Republic flagship means I will FOR SURE be taking a look next time I'm in Seoul. Just a bit further from this mall is a Papa John's [best veggie pizza in the country!] too! Maybe this place will leapfrog D-Cube as the best [i.e., most Western] mall in Seoul. Fingers crossed. |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Do they have western sizes at Hollister? |
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alongway
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
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| Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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| OOhh, Mexican? Any new Mexican place is at least worth a look. |
This is a franchise and unless it's changed it's the second or third in Korea as I know of one other, and I think it had another location already
not really new at all |
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thurst
Joined: 08 Apr 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 12:21 am Post subject: |
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on the border is cool, but there are ones in sinchon and gangnam so i wouldn't go out of my way to hit this mall just for that.
might check out hollister to see if they have some western sizes, though. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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| alongway wrote: |
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| OOhh, Mexican? Any new Mexican place is at least worth a look. |
This is a franchise and unless it's changed it's the second or third in Korea as I know of one other, and I think it had another location already
not really new at all |
On the Border has been in Seoul for about five years. Coincidentally, this is their fifth location in Seoul that I'm aware of, after the ones in Sinchon, COEX, Apgujoeng, and Times Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo. In any case, it's my favorite Mexican place in Korea, and most of the people I know who've eaten there agree.
As a side note, Tomatillo has kimchi tacos, but what's wrong with that? They're all the rage in Los Angeles, so why not in Korea? |
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