Myeong-dong

File:Meiji-Cho in Keijo.JPG]]

During the Joseon period, the area was called Myŏngnyebang ({{korean|hangul=명례방|hanja=明禮坊|labels=no}}), Myŏngnyebanggol ({{Korean|hangul=명례방골|labels=no}}), or Chonghyŏn ({{Korean|hangul=종현|hanja=鍾峴|labels=no}}). It was then considered part of the southern part of the Joseon capital Hanseong (early name for Seoul).{{Citation |last1=이 |first1=영택 |script-title=ko:명동 (明洞) |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0018239 |access-date=2024-07-08 |publisher=Academy of Korean Studies |language=ko |last2=김 |first2=건유}} In 1914, during the early Japanese colonial period, it was renamed Meiji-cho ({{Langx|ja|明治町}}; {{korean|hangul=명치정|mr=Myŏngch'ijŏng}}), after the Japanese Emperor Meiji. It then became more of a commercial district, being influenced by the rising commerce in the neighboring Chungmuro area. It officially became the district of Myeongdong in 1946, after independence.[http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=62191 Myeongdong] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215064755/https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1093131&cid=40942&categoryId=34709 |date=2019-12-15 }} from Doosan Encyclopedia (Korean)

After the Korean War and into the 1960s, the economy blossomed and the financial sector from Namdaemun-ro and Euljiro gradually expanded into Myeongdong. The area flourished as city renovations took place and highrise buildings were built. Many department stores, shopping centers, restaurants, upscale shops and boutiques set up their businesses in Myeongdong and it became popular with the young and trendy in the 1970s.

Besides being a major commercial and financial district, Myeongdong has been a popular location for political demonstrations and protests, especially during the turbulent years of the 1980s and 1990s. Myeongdong Cathedral has been a frequent spot for many of these demonstrations and still is to this day.

As of March 2000, Myeongdong has been designated as a special Tourism Promotion Area and is one of the stops on the official Seoul City Bus tour's main route.[http://tour.junggu.seoul.kr Tourism Promotion Area] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831085000/http://tour.junggu.seoul.kr/ |date=2011-08-31 }} Jung-gu Office (Korean)

{{See also|Economy of Seoul}}

File:Myeongdong 2012-05-03.jpg

File:Myeongdong Neon at Night, Seoul.jpg

Seoul's financial hub is divided between here and Yeouido where the Korea Stock Exchange is located. Major insurance, securities, financial services companies, and investment firms with headquarters in Myeongdong include Citibank, SK Corporation, Kookmin Bank, Korea Exchange Bank, Lone Star Funds, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, AIG Korea Insurance, Hana Bank, and HSBC. The Bank of Korea is also in the vicinity.

Other notable landmarks in Myeongdong include the Chinese Embassy, which was first opened on January 4, 1949.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F97E653B955AE18&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|work=Yonhap News Agency |date=2002-08-21|access-date=2008-02-05|title=South Korea-Taiwan relations 'in a rut'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007022943/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=BBAB&d_place=BBAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F97E653B955AE18&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|archive-date=2012-10-07|url-status=dead}} YWCA headquarters, UNESCO Hall, Myeongdong Theater, and the oldest Catholic cathedral in Korea, Myeongdong Cathedral.{{Cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264138|title=Myeongdong Cathedral|access-date=2018-10-31|archive-date=2018-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133238/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264138|url-status=live}}

Except for early morning and late night delivery hours, the main street and most of the alleys are blocked off for pedestrians to roam freely without being hindered by traffic.[http://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2008031301031043334004 "Myeongdong streets to become pedestrian friendly"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001171835/http://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2008031301031043334004 |date=2011-10-01 }}, Munhwa Ilbo 2008-03-03 (Korean)

It has an international school, Seoul Chinese Primary School."[http://www.isi.go.kr/schoolInfo/SinfoView.do?schoolType=ST01&schoolId=15 SEOUL CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330063727/http://www.isi.go.kr/schoolInfo/SinfoView.do?schoolType=ST01&schoolId=15|date=2016-03-30}}." International School Information, Government of South Korea. Retrieved on March 30, 2016.

===Luxury shopping===

{{See also|Shopping in Seoul}}

Myeongdong is one of Seoul's main shopping districts featuring mid-to-high priced retail stores and international brand outlets as well as Korean cosmetics brands.{{cite web|title=Travel Highlights: What To Buy When Shopping in Korea|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=599257|work=Korea Tourism Organization|access-date=8 October 2012|archive-date=26 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226190932/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=599257|url-status=live}} It is a particularly popular area for young people and tourists as a center for fashion and sight-seeing. Several large shopping centers and department stores are in the district.{{Cite web|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264312|title=Myeongdong|access-date=2018-10-31|archive-date=2018-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133303/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264312|url-status=live}}

In August 2012, as part of Lotte Department Store's expansion programme into China, a replica of the street of Myeongdong is featured in its new store in Tianjin.{{cite news|last=Kim|first=Jung-yoon|title=New dawn rising for Lotte in China|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2958704|access-date=8 October 2012|newspaper=Korea JoongAng Daily|date=31 August 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618233159/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2958704|archive-date=18 June 2013}}

The floating population of Myeongdong is estimated to be around 2 million a dayC.K. Jang [http://news.mk.co.kr/outside/view.php?year=2010&no=242463 "Myeongdong commercial district"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173911/http://news.mk.co.kr/outside/view.php?year=2010&no=242463 |date=2011-07-23 }} MK Business News 2010-05-12 (Korean) and in terms of floorspace rents, Myeongdong is one of the most expensive shopping districts in the world.[http://www.finfacts.com/biz10/irelandworldexpensivestreets.htm The world's most expensive streets 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213021904/http://www.finfacts.com/biz10/irelandworldexpensivestreets.htm |date=2008-02-13 }} finfacts Retrieved 2008-02-23 Many hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, and historical sites complete the diverse mixture of the area. In a poll of nearly 2,000 foreign visitors, conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November 2011, stated that 13.4 percent named shopping in Myeongdong as their favorite activity in Seoul.{{cite news|title=Mt. Nam Tops List of Foreign Tourists' Favorites|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/11/28/2011112801317.html|access-date=23 April 2012|newspaper=The Chosun Ilbo|date=28 November 2011|archive-date=13 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413234613/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/11/28/2011112801317.html|url-status=live}}

Image:Myeongdongchurch2025.jpg, a popular tourist attraction towards the end of the shopping district.]]

Built in 1898, the Myeongdong Cathedral is a prominent and traditional landmark of the Myeongdong area.

Myeongdong Festival has been hosted since 1982 to vitalize the commercial area and encourage tourism.[http://tour.junggu.seoul.kr/english/index.html Myeongdong Festival] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831085224/http://tour.junggu.seoul.kr/english/index.html |date=2011-08-31 }}, Jung-gu Office It is usually held twice a year: from the end of March to the middle of April in spring, and the month of September in autumn. Parades, music and dance performances, fashion shows and other spectacles are part of the festivities. Many shops and stores offer product sales and discounts during this time as well.

In 2012, the area hosted the street parade of the Cheonan World Dance Festival in October.{{cite web|title=Myeongdong to Host Dance Street Parade|url=http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?nCategoryID=1&SearchType=&keyword=&gotoPage=3&cid=1722497&cCode=&nCategoryID=1&searchType=&searchKeyword=|work=Korea Tourism Organization|access-date=4 October 2012|date=20 September 2012|archive-date=24 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224032730/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/AKR/FU_EN_15.jsp?nCategoryID=1&SearchType=&keyword=&gotoPage=3&cid=1722497&cCode=&nCategoryID=1&searchType=&searchKeyword=|url-status=live}}

The southern part of Myeongdong is served by Station #424, Myeongdong on {{rint|seoul|4}} Line 4 of the Seoul Subway, while the northern area is closer to {{rint|seoul|2}}Station #202, Euljiro 1-ga on Line 2.

{{Gallery

| File:Myeongdong-gbaeb8384d 1920.jpg

| Dusk over Myeongdong (2018)

| File:Myeong-dong Night view 201604.jpg

| Crowded shopping streets at night (2016)

| File:PJ view 1.jpg

| Panorama of the area from the PJ Hotel (2022)

| File:Myeongdong 20141217 02 (16021670156).jpg

| Trees lit up in December 2017

}}

{{Portal|South Korea}}

• Myeongdong Cathedral
• List of upscale shopping districts
• Economy of South Korea

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Myeongdong}}

• [http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_4.jsp?cid=527734 Visit Korea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115081742/http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_4.jsp?cid=527734 |date=2017-11-15 }}
• [http://www.myeongdong.org Myeongdong Tourist Info] (English)
• [http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/seoul/12 Life in Korea]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170626061330/http://myungdong.net/ Myeongdong Tourist Zone] (Korean)
• {{in lang|ko}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20131224114059/http://dong.junggu.seoul.kr/index.php?f_depcode=1003 Myeongdong resident office website]

{{Jung-gu}}

{{Seoul}}

{{coord|37.5637|N|126.9840|E|source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:KR|display=title}}

Category:Neighborhoods of Jung District, Seoul

Category:Shopping districts and streets in South Korea

Category:Tourist attractions in Seoul