1 of 2 | A long line of visitors waits outside the “Cocoon’s Private Studio” event venue near Ttukseom Station in Seoul on Thursday. Photo by Asia Today
April 3 (Asia Today) — A once-quiet café district near Seoul Forest is rapidly transforming into a retail hotspot, drawing long lines of visitors as fashion platform Musinsa expands its presence in the area.
By late morning Thursday, more than 200 people were lined up along Atelier-gil in Seongdong District, even on a weekday. The crowd gathered for a pop-up event tied to Musinsa’s “Back to Seoul Forest” campaign, where musician Code Kunst drew attention by serving coffee in person.
“Seoul Forest is really popular these days,” one visitor in her 20s said. “I’ve been to Yeonmujang-gil many times, so now I’m coming here instead.”
The campaign invites visitors to explore 24 stores in the area, scanning QR codes to collect stamps. Participants who collect four stamps receive promotional items and can enter prize drawings, encouraging foot traffic throughout the neighborhood.
The initiative is part of Musinsa’s broader “Seoul Forest Project,” launched earlier this year to expand consumer activity beyond the already saturated Yeonmujang-gil in nearby Seongsu. The company aims to connect the two areas into a single retail corridor.
Local businesses say the change is already noticeable. A staff member at a nearby lifestyle store said customer traffic surged so quickly during the event that QR code stations had to be moved outside to manage demand, adding that the area attracts a particularly young customer base compared to other locations.
Until recently, the Seoul Forest area was dominated by cafes and restaurants, with relatively short visitor stays. The district has about 35 beverage shops and 91 dining establishments, and its closure rate last year exceeded the city average.
Musinsa saw this as an opportunity. While Yeonmujang-gil faces high rents and heavy foot traffic, Seoul Forest had lower visitor numbers – about 3,000 people daily, roughly one-quarter of nearby Seongsu’s café street – despite being within a 15- to 20-minute walk.
To reshape the district, Musinsa leased about 20 vacant storefronts last year and subleased them to emerging brands, lowering entry barriers for companies seeking offline expansion.
As a result, designer brands that were previously difficult to find in physical stores are beginning to cluster in the area. Several labels, including General Idea, Lookcast and Have a Whale, have opened locations within the past two months, filling previously empty spaces with new retail content.
Kim Young-min, a director at a women’s fashion brand operating in the area, said high rents in neighborhoods such as Seongsu and Hannam had delayed offline expansion plans. “Musinsa offered space here, which made it easier to open a store,” Kim said.
The layout of Atelier-gil has also contributed to the shift. Unlike the large industrial-style buildings in Seongsu, the area consists mainly of smaller structures, reducing initial investment costs and making it more accessible for emerging designers.
While some vacancies remain, Musinsa plans to attract about 20 brands to the area this year. Upcoming openings include specialty retail concepts focused on hats, footwear, children’s products and beauty.
The company said it aims to strengthen its identity within the broader Seongsu district while redefining Seoul Forest as a destination where visitors can explore, shop and experience a variety of content.
The effort is already reshaping the neighborhood, turning previously quiet streets into a growing hub of fashion and lifestyle activity.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260403010001066