WEBZINE ACC

What do you know about Gwangju's “─ridan-gil”?

Let's talk about “gentrification” while exploring the new attraction of Gwangju, #Siridangil, which is helping Gwangju become an interesting city.

Famous commercial streets across the country, including Gyeongnidan-gil (Seoul), Hengnidan-gil (Suwon), Hwangnidan-gil (Gyeongju), Gaeknidan-gil (Jeonju), and Haeridan-gil (Busan), are all named "–ridan-gil" as if there’s a common tradition.

As more unique shops with their own distinct atmosphere emerge in underdeveloped areas (alleys, commercial districts), there is an increase in food options, things to see, and activities to enjoy. This is not only a welcome development for the consumers who utilize these areas but also for the locality itself. In particular, for Gwangju, which is often labeled as a boring city, the birth of the creative and stylish “─ridan-gil” can be seen as a useful means of injecting new vitality into the local community.

I also visited “Siridan-gil” located in the advanced district for coverage of Gwangju's “─ridan-gil.” The shopping mall with unique appearances behind the existing advanced district stood tall as a landmark, catching people's attention. The interior and exterior of the stores were aesthetically pleasing, making it busy with people taking photos, and the food they served captivated people's attention with its impressive plating that seemed too beautiful to eat.

#Siridan-gil, Gwangju
A hot place loved by Millenials and Gen Z

The real estate development company, Synergy Tower, started naming the commercial facilities developed in the Ssangam-dong area of Gwangsan-gu, which is called the advanced district, as the Synergy Town project. “Siridan-gil” became the name associated with it. Synergy Tower gives different concepts to each story, capturing the attention of consumers. Among them, Voyager Advanced, true to its meaning “traveler,” is designed to create an atmosphere reminiscent of a journey with the placement of props such as signage announcing international departures and suitcases.

#Dongnidan-gil, Dongmyeong-dong Cafe Street

In the 1970s to 1990s, Dongmyeong-dong was a wealthy village with a mixture of upscale houses and old hanok buildings (traditional Korean houses) in Dongnam-ro and Donggyecheon-ro. As residential culture shifted to apartments and more people moved to the new city center, Dongmyeong-dong, which used to be a quiet neighborhood, saw the emergence of cafés in the 2000s as academies started to open up in the area. These cafés were where stay-at-home moms would wait for their children to finish their academy studies.

The catalyst for the transformation of the quiet residential and academy district into a bustling area like today was the opening of the Asia Cultural Center (ACC) in 2015. The ACC, which has established itself as a representative complex cultural space and landmark of Gwangju, has led to the creation of Dongnidan-gil, or the Dongmyeong-dong Café Street, with its unique exteriors, sensory interiors, and a variety of cafés that captivate both sight and taste with their culinary offerings.

Then, how is Gyeongnidan-gil, which is the origin of the trendy “─ridan-gil” neighborhoods, doing these days?

The background behind the birth of Gyeongnidan-gil is the revitalization of the Itaewon commercial district. The revitalization of the Itaewon commercial district was followed by rising rental fees, leading people to seek out places with lower rent away from the central streets of Itaewon. Gyeongnidan-gil caught the attention of those people. The quiet neighborhood that was away from the central commercial district of Itaewon attracted young entrepreneurs who migrated there. As a result, it transformed into a trendy neighborhood with exotic and unique restaurants and cafes at its core. This led to a rental fee increase of more than three times in the Gyeongnidan-gil commercial district. Unable to afford the increased rent, many young entrepreneurs find themselves forced to leave the area, resulting in the departure of the original tenants who contributed to the unique atmosphere of Gyeongnidan-gil. In their place, only franchises of large corporations remain, and even they are gradually leaving. As a result, the commercial district is experiencing another decline.

As gentrification progresses, the unique characteristics that maintained the local identity begin to disappear. Consequently, people's interest in the area diminishes, and small business owners find it challenging to generate the same level of profit compared to before, primarily due to high rental costs. Eventually, they are forced to close their businesses. As a result, the vacancy rate increases, leading to the decline of the commercial district. In order to mitigate the negative effects of gentrification, some parties are pushing for "mutual agreement" between local governments, landlords, and tenants, as well as the establishment of cooperatives. However, it seems that these efforts are still lacking. Looking at the ongoing gentrification phenomenon in ─ridan-gil, it becomes evident that similar trends experienced in the established commercial districts of Seoul, such as Myeong-dong, Apgujeong Rodeo Drive, and Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, are still persisting.

The so-called “─ridan-gil” or “hip” neighborhoods play a role in showcasing the creative entrepreneurship of small business owners and their unique storefronts. However, we cannot overlook the impact of Millenials and Gen Z, who actively share their experiences through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. However, thanks to the success of Gyeongnidan-gil, other areas are creating similar atmospheres, and now it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify an area without looking at the hashtags that used to appear on social media. Without hashtags, it is becoming unclear whether it is Gyeongnidan-gil, Songnidan-gil, or Haengnidan-gil, and these areas are in danger of losing their unique individuality and becoming ordinary everyday neighborhoods.

I hope that Gwangju's “─ridan-gil” can establish itself as a beloved landmark in Gwangju, without following the same gentrification path as other areas and without becoming just another ordinary neighborhood. With this hope, I would like to conclude this article.