The short answer
Itaewon had 2,495 active stores on 32 commercial streets in Q2 2026, +3.4% (+81) versus the previous quarter; 24 streets added stores. It ranks #8 of 23 famous Korean retail districts for store growth this quarter.
What's on the street
Share of active stores by category.
Who shops here
Percentiles against all 25,987 tracked streets. Indicators are relative, not currency amounts.
Hottest streets in Itaewon
Ranked by momentum — this quarter's rise in store count and density.
| Street | Stores | QoQ | Momentum | Growing brands | Character | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noksapyeong-daero녹사평대로 · Yongsan-gu | 153 | +7.0% | 82.0 | 4 | Café & youth | Growing |
| Itaewon-ro이태원로 · Yongsan-gu | 709 | +0.6% | 81.2 | 8 | Office lunch | Stable |
| Noksapyeong-daero 40na-gil녹사평대로40나길 · Yongsan-gu | 55 | +27.9% | 81.1 | 0 | Office lunch | Nearing oversupply |
| Noksapyeong-daero 46-gil녹사평대로46길 · Yongsan-gu | 72 | +18.0% | 80.2 | 1 | Office lunch | Nearing oversupply |
| Itaewon-ro 19-gil이태원로19길 · Yongsan-gu | 52 | +10.6% | 79.6 | 0 | After-work dining | Nearing oversupply |
| Noksapyeong-daero 26ga-gil녹사평대로26가길 · Yongsan-gu | 25 | +19.1% | 77.8 | 0 | Café & youth | Growing |
Fast-growing brands already here
Brands whose Korean networks grew over the past year, with more openings than closures. Shrinking brands are excluded.
| Brand | Category | Stores in Korea | Net new, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paik's Coffee빽다방 | Coffee | 1,712 | +263 |
| Baegeokkeopi백억커피 | Coffee | 165 | +77 |
| Hanuridokseotoronnonsul한우리독서토론논술 | Education | 639 | +73 |
| Mom's Touch맘스터치 | Fast food | 1,444 | +35 |
| Optima옵티마 | (건강)식품 | 879 | +27 |
| A Twosome Place투썸플레이스 | Coffee | 1,510 | +26 |
| Keopinain커피나인 | Coffee | 67 | +26 |
| Paineolnain파이널나인 | Other dining | 31 | +24 |
| Cheogatjibyangnyeomchikin처갓집양념치킨 | Fried chicken | 1,254 | +21 |
| Lotteria롯데리아 | Fast food | 1,209 | +18 |
Next streets nearby
Streets within 1.5 km of Itaewon, outside its core, that added stores this quarter — where activity tends to spill over.
| Street | Stores | QoQ | Momentum | Growing brands | Character | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daesagwan-ro대사관로 · Yongsan-gu | 157 | +4.7% | 82.0 | 6 | Dining alley | Growing |
| Sinheung-ro신흥로 · Yongsan-gu | 306 | +4.1% | 79.3 | 3 | Café & youth | Nearing oversupply |
| Dokseodang-ro독서당로 · Yongsan-gu | 282 | +2.2% | 78.7 | 3 | Neighborhood daily | Quality improving |
| Bogwang-ro보광로 · Yongsan-gu | 307 | +1.0% | 77.3 | 6 | Mixed-use | Stable |
| Daesagwan-ro 5-gil대사관로5길 · Yongsan-gu | 31 | +10.7% | 76.7 | 0 | Dining & shopping | Growing |
| Hannam-daero한남대로 · Yongsan-gu | 140 | +2.9% | 75.9 | 1 | Office lunch | Stable |
Streets like Itaewon, elsewhere in Korea
Closest match on store mix, spending level, late-night activity and repeat visits — useful when planning a second or third location.
| Street | Stores | QoQ | Momentum | Character | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jungang-ro중앙로 · Cheongsong-gun | 202 | +3.1% | 76.2 | Café & youth | Growing |
| Yeonse-ro연세로 · Seodaemun-gu | 306 | -6.7% | 41.9 | Mixed-use | Declining |
| Gogwan-ro고관로 · Dong-gu | 298 | +3.5% | 79.1 | Mixed-use | Growing |
| Guui-ro구의로 · Gwangjin-gu | 195 | +5.4% | 80.3 | Neighborhood daily | Growing |
| Museol-ro무설로 · Muju-gun | 93 | +2.2% | 73.4 | After-work dining | Quality improving |
| Seoulsup 4-gil서울숲4길 · Seongdong-gu | 111 | +7.8% | 80.7 | Office lunch | Growing |
On the map
How this district is defined
“Itaewon” is a colloquial name. Ipjimap groups the administrative neighborhoods Itaewon-dong and counts every street with 20+ stores.