The short answer
Myeongdong had 3,386 active stores on 31 commercial streets in Q2 2026, +2.5% (+81) versus the previous quarter; 20 streets added stores. It ranks #14 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 Myeongdong
Ranked by momentum — this quarter's rise in store count and density.
| Street | Stores | QoQ | Momentum | Growing brands | Character | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheonggyecheon-ro청계천로 · Jung-gu | 535 | +5.1% | 83.6 | 7 | Office lunch | Growing |
| Toegye-ro 20-gil퇴계로20길 · Jung-gu | 103 | +9.6% | 79.3 | 1 | Late-night | Nearing oversupply |
| Myeongdong 9-gil명동9길 · Jung-gu | 73 | +4.3% | 79.0 | 3 | Dining alley | Growing |
| Namdaemun-ro 9-gil남대문로9길 · Jung-gu | 206 | +7.3% | 78.5 | 3 | Mixed-use | Nearing oversupply |
| Myeongdong 4-gil명동4길 · Jung-gu | 92 | +2.2% | 78.1 | 5 | Dining & shopping | Stable |
| Myeongdong 8-gil명동8길 · Jung-gu | 149 | +0.7% | 77.3 | 2 | Mixed-use | Quality improving |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonjuk & Bibimbap본죽&비빔밥 | Korean food | 1,150 | +147 |
| AVA Hair에이바헤어 | Hair & beauty | 320 | +102 |
| THE VENTI더벤티 | Coffee | 1,230 | +101 |
| Norang Chicken노랑통닭 | Fried chicken | 751 | +101 |
| Nomoeopija노모어피자 | Pizza | 174 | +78 |
| Eutteum50angyeong으뜸50안경 | 안경 | 305 | +43 |
| Goobne Chicken굽네치킨 | Fried chicken | 1,154 | +36 |
| Mom's Touch맘스터치 | Fast food | 1,444 | +35 |
| Peuraengkeubeogeo프랭크버거 | Fast food | 622 | +31 |
| Banapeureso바나프레소 | Coffee | 52 | +30 |
Next streets nearby
Streets within 1.5 km of Myeongdong, outside its core, that added stores this quarter — where activity tends to spill over.
| Street | Stores | QoQ | Momentum | Growing brands | Character | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sogong-ro소공로 · Jung-gu | 498 | +2.9% | 84.3 | 2 | Mixed-use | Quality improving |
| Jong-ro종로 · Jongno-gu | 2,740 | +3.7% | 83.5 | 47 | Mixed-use | Early growth |
| Namdaemun-ro남대문로 · Jung-gu | 930 | +3.0% | 82.9 | 9 | Mixed-use | Stable |
| Jong-ro 12-gil종로12길 · Jongno-gu | 89 | +12.7% | 82.2 | 1 | Late-night | Nearing oversupply |
| Toegye-ro퇴계로 · Jung-gu | 2,072 | +2.4% | 81.2 | 25 | Office lunch | Quality improving |
| Saemunan-ro 5-gil새문안로5길 · Jongno-gu | 237 | +4.4% | 80.4 | 8 | Office lunch | Growing |
Streets like Myeongdong, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siheung-daero시흥대로 · Geumcheon-gu | 1,484 | +0.9% | 78.2 | Mixed-use | Stable |
| Dangsan-ro당산로 · Yeongdeungpo-gu | 835 | +1.6% | 80.1 | Office lunch | Quality improving |
| Woldeukeop-ro월드컵로 · Mapo-gu | 908 | +1.6% | 75.2 | Mixed-use | Quality slipping |
| Kintekseu-ro킨텍스로 · Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si | 535 | +7.7% | 83.5 | Office lunch | Early growth |
| Dosan-daero 55-gil도산대로55길 · Gangnam-gu | 103 | -1.0% | 41.0 | Office lunch | Stable |
| Hakdong-ro 6-gil학동로6길 · Gangnam-gu | 109 | 0.0% | 57.3 | Office lunch | Quality slipping |
On the map
How this district is defined
“Myeongdong” is a colloquial name. Ipjimap groups the administrative neighborhoods Myeong-dong and counts every street with 20+ stores.