Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kiknkorea]

[Unibrow]

Will I be able to buy chex mix

[Perceptioncheck]

Ha! Itaewon already was a "world culture food street".

Or at least it was, until all the high-end Korean places started opening up on that very same road they're talking about. There's now a k-pop music club (*gag*) and the ominiously named "k-town" there, just to name a few.

Will a government designation stop the slide, or only serve to encourage it?

[dairyairy]

[radcon]

Korea (Seoul) is trying to desperately be a great international city ala HK or Singapore. It's just sad and stupid at this point.

[newb]

[orosee]

Yeah, the "food street" has been there for a long time. All very authentic until recently. At the far end (where they removed a couple of buildings to break through, just after 3 Alley Pub) there's a slightly less authentic development since about a year or so, which looks nice (a bit European) but all these places have very stylized, expensive menus and seem to cater for the dating/impression crowd. The best trend so far is moving the activities outdoors, onto terraces and balconies and out of the smoky, noisy interiors.

Fully agree with the other poster that the "Koreanization" of that street is progressing fast and adds more and more of an Everland touch to the former authenticity. Or maybe it started with the umpteenth "My[insert food or region here]" restaurant? The culmination so far is the huge "Prost" complex, fully industrialized entertainment (with cheating on the beers), the blow only softened by the addition of Glam, perhaps the easiest pick-up joint ever (just having a pulse and a glass of g&t will get you laid). I believe that there must be a threshold after which everything will flip over to something artificial, overpriced and fake. Soon, from the looks of it. But then I also disagree with having a gazillion of kebab shops and their regional mutations everywhere (some of these guys have branches in Shanghai, can you imagine? They're already franchised!).

On a positive note, not everything succeeds; that Korean burger joint that always had a huge queue outside seems to have gone. Kraze Burger is gone, too. But, Quiznos is now Olive Young, whatever the message here may be. I wish the same would happen to Taco Bell.

SERIOUS ADVICE though: If they want to be serious about this becoming a full tourist attraction, MAKE IT A WALKING STREET, get rid of the through traffic and PLEASE, prohibit all parking left, right and behind the Hamilton!

Meanwhile, can't thay also make the stretch from On Y Va to L'Ocean an international Juicy Bar Street, with a weekly 4-for-1 on lady drinks?

[dairyairy]

[Hugo85]

Itaewon is only international because the Korean government let it be self-governed. If they want to run it themselves, then it's sure to become even more of a pit than it already is.

[everything-is-everything]

[brier]

It seems more expats are already voting with their feet and wallets by patronizing the businesses in Gyeongnidan. Iteawon is very fragmented now with niche establishments. Don�t forget that there is a lot of rent seeking happing. The owners of property there are just licking their chops at the wall of money they can earn. Having the street designated as a extra special tourism zone (Isn�t Iteawon already designated as one?) just helps them. It would be interesting to see to lobbied for this. And no doubt the government will mess it up.

[wylies99]