Itaewon, South Korea's No. 1 district for expats and foreign tourists, has seen the number of African residents rise about 80 percent over the past five years, data showed Tuesday.
A total of 706 Africans were registered as residents in Itaewon in 2009, a sharp increase from 385 in 2004, according to the Yongsan Ward office.
The rise is attributed to the area's many shops and restaurants that cater to African tastes and provides venues for friends to exchange information on life in Korea.
Africans took up around 16.4 percent of the some 2,377 foreigners living in the Itaewon area.