KOREA ENCOUNTERS Sindang-dong: forgotten history of a gentrifying neighborhood
A man rides a kickboard through an alleyway rapidly filling with bars and restaurants in Sindang-dong's Jungang Market, June 3. Courtesy of Matt VanVolkenburg
Ask most people what they think of when you mention the neighborhood of Sindang-dong, and they will reply, “tteokbokki.” As the story goes, the spicy version of the dish was invented there by Ma Bok-rim shortly after the 1950-53 Korean War, and it became popular as a cheap snack for local schoolkids. Ma’s appearance in a gochujang ad in 1996 caused her restaurant — and the Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Street — to explode in popularity.
On Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Street, pride in the neighborhood is clearly expressed, May 29. Courtesy of Matt VanVolkenburg
Twenty-five years later, history began to repeat itself. Much like in Mullae-dong, Seongsu-dong and Euljiro, cafes, wine bars and foreign food eateries began to move into aging rice warehouses and other 50- or 60-year-old brick buildings in the Jungang Market area north of Sindang Station. By late 2021 it had become a noticeable trend, one that sped up last year when over 40 new cafes, bars and restaurants opened. Drawing on the example of “Hipjiro,” the area has been dubbed “Hipdang-dong.” (Had this happened a few years earlier, when the Gyeongnidan neighborhood was all the rage, it might have become the more musical “Sindangnidan.”)
The neighborhood’s name is said to come from the shamanic shrines, or sindang, that appeared nearby during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom era. Gwanghuimun gate, which stands a couple of blocks south of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, was one of the two gates through which corpses could leave Seoul, and in the early 20th century cemeteries were located where the tteokbokki street and northern section of Jungang Market now stand.
Jungang Market is seen from above, June 6. Courtesy of Matt VanVolkenburg
A rice market was active north of Sindang Station by the 1930s, as that was the decade when Chung Ju-young, founder of Hyundai, started doing deliveries for a rice shop before opening his own in 1938. By the 1960s, the market had grown immensely, with its merchants acting as wholesalers for more than 70 percent of the rice consumed in Seoul.
The area south of Sindang Station was first urbanized in the mid-1930s, and a small number of traditional Korean houses, or hanok, built between 1935 and 1938 still stand today. While a street plan (perhaps designed by a cubist painter) was devised for the area, hanoks spilled haphazardly across the grid, or were densely built with little thought of vehicles ever accessing them. As a result, the city government spent much of the late 1970s demolishing houses to make way for the streets it had planned three decades earlier.
A section of the former rice market northwest of Sindang Station is undergoing rapid gentrification, March 15. Courtesy of Matt VanVolkenburg
The area was also home to a number of Western-influenced “culture houses” built in neat rows in the 1930s, but today only one remains — that which belonged to former President Park Chung-hee before he led a coup in 1961 and ended up moving into Cheong Wa Dae.
A year later, in 1962, the new authorities decided to control prostitution by designating a number of “guidance zones” where women would not be arrested but would be encouraged to find other employment; those working outside these zones faced arrest. Police designated an area north of Jungang Market, along Cheonggye Stream — next to a high school — as one such location, much to the chagrin of local residents.
Many other such stories from the past are practically forgotten today, including the fact that the area around the market was home to one of Seoul’s oldest queer spaces, centered on Seongdong Theater (1962-96). Times changed, and the theater closed and other queer centers like Itaewon or Jongno became trendy.
Changing trends in shopping also affected Jungang Market. The grain sellers which dominated the market dwindled to a handful, and the underground part of the market, which sold bedding, began to empty out.
In response to the latter situation, Seoul Art Space Sindang was established in 2009, allowing artists and designers to use these spaces at affordable prices. Perhaps it was this influx of artists that influenced the changes to the neighborhood in more recent years.
Another trendy eatery moves into the neighborhood south of Sindang Station, May 31. Courtesy of Matt VanVolkenburg
For now, in Jungang Market, wine and cocktail bars, cafes, izakayas, taco joints, Vietnamese and fusion Chinese eateries and even a punk bar (along with a half dozen photo booths) coexist with vegetable, fish, and chicken sellers, Chinese groceries and places serving more traditional fare. The market is booming and seeing more visitors than ever.
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Gentrification always comes with costs, but at the moment the area seems to be in its honeymoon phase, perhaps helped by the size of the neighborhood compared to the relatively small number of "hip" establishments. Whether you’re a gourmand, a member of the Instagram tribe looking for a new place to explore or someone keen on watching gentrification in real time, the Sindang Station area should be an interesting place to keep an eye on moving ahead.
The aforementioned places will be visited, and many more stories about Sindang-dong’s history and urban development will be shared, this coming Saturday in an excursion by Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea. Participation costs 30,000 won, or 25,000 won for RAS Korea members. Visit raskb.com for more information.
Matt VanVolkenburg has a master's degree in Korean studies from the University of Washington. He is the blogger behind populargusts.blogspot.kr, and co-author of "Called by Another Name: A Memoir of the Gwangju Uprising."