The area around Dosan Park in Gangnam District is emerging as the next hotspot after Seongsu-dong in Seongdong District, Seoul, known for pop-up stores (temporary shops). With major stores opening recently by various global brands including Adidas, rents and other costs are rising.
According to related industries on the 10th, as the area around Dosan Park has gained popularity recently, 19 well-known domestic and international fashion brands opened flagship stores in Dosan over the past year. In the first half, Onitsuka Tiger, UGG, Diadora, Monday Flow, Birkenstock, Stranger, Levi's, Artissue, Enfants Riches Deprimes, Siyaju, and Adidas Originals moved in. Even more stores poured in during the second half. Alo, Marithe, MacWoodgun, Sierra, PERFUMER H, Mardi Mercredi, Sie, Insta360, IAB Studio, Stussy, MoMA Bookstore, Elborn, Setterhouse, House of Glony, LMR, Numbering, Yose, FR8IGHT, Human Made, Mark Mork, You So Full, and Bape opened.
In the term "flagship store," a flagship is the most important ship in a fleet, flying the commander's flag and leading the rest. Unlike pop-up stores, which operate for a short, temporary period, a flagship store is a space that goes beyond sales to maximize brand experience and identity. As opening a store in the optimal location requires significant expense, it suggests the area around Dosan Park is emerging as a key location.
As global brands continue to move in, the vacancy rate around Dosan Park has fallen to "zero (0)" within a year. According to the Korea Real Estate Board (REB), the vacancy rate for small shops on Dosandae-ro reached 13.2% in the third quarter of 2024. It then dropped to 6.2% in the fourth quarter of the same year and has remained at 0% for three consecutive quarters in 2025. Rents also rose during the same period. The rental price index for small shops near Dosandae-ro came in at 101.23, up 0.67 points from a year earlier.
The Dosan Park commercial district refers to the Dosandae-ro area stretching from Sinsa Station to Cheongdam-dong, including the vicinity of Dosan Park. It can be seen as a kind of rival to the nearby Garosu-gil district, which has drawn attention as rents there have surged recently. As fashion brands favored by Millennials and Gen Z and food and beverage (F&B) brands have relocated in succession to the Dosan Park area, more people are visiting.
An industry official said, "The Dosan Park district also has the highest concentration of restaurants run by chefs who appeared in seasons 1 and 2 of the Netflix cooking competition program 'Culinary Class Wars,'" adding, "Seongsu has many pop-up stores, so the purchase rate is low, but the Dosan Park area draws a wide range of age groups and foreign tourists who come to make actual purchases, making it a preferred location for brands seeking to expand consumer touchpoints."