REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK A firsthand look at 'Mongtan New City'

Korea's convenience store chain CU and an independently-owned business, Gochu Korean Chicken Restaurnt & Pub, are seen along a street in Ulaanbaatar, Friday. Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo

ULAANBAATAR — The daily commute between the press corps’ hotel and the press center was an unexpected hurdle during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to Mongolia from Thursday to Saturday.

Although the distance was about 2 kilometers — a 10-minute shuttle bus ride under normal conditions — morning traffic jams in Ulaanbaatar, coupled with the shuttle’s once-an-hour service often forced reporters to make the roughly 30-minute walk instead.

Yet what began as a hurdle provided an opportunity to experience firsthand the so-called “Mongtan New City,” a blended term reflecting how deeply Korean lifestyle and culture have become woven into everyday life in the Mongolian capital.

The term combines Mongolia and Dongtan, a relatively new town from the Seoul metropolitan area that rapidly filled with convenience stores, cafes, bakeries, restaurants and other neighborhood businesses after its development in the 2000s.

Likewise, the 2-kilometer stretch between the lodging and the press center was lined with familiar Korean brands, including the convenience store chains CU and GS25, as well as coffee chains such as Mega Coffee and Tom N Toms Coffee.

At one intersection alone, four convenience stores — two CU outlets and two GS25 stores — clustered around the crossroads, illustrating a degree of competition that would be considered excessive even in Korea.

Operated by BGF Retail, the number of CU stores in Mongolia had reached 600 as of Thursday, while GS25 trailed with around 300 outlets. Together, the two chains have come to symbolize the broad footprint of Korean businesses in the country, extending beyond retail to consumer goods and a wide range of other sectors.

An independently-owned Korean restaurant, Miga, and Korea's onvenience store chain GS25 are seen along a street in Ulaanbaatar, Friday. Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo

Beyond the major Korean chains, independently owned businesses also reflected the "Mongtan New City" phenomenon, with Korean Yami Restaurant & Pub, Gochu Korean Chicken, Miga and Samgyeopsal Express among the many Korean eateries lining the streets.

At one restaurant, the menu looked much like one found in Korea, offering an extensive selection of familiar dishes, including kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken), yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) and sundaeguk (blood sausage soup).

Meat lovers could choose from dishes such as samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) and galbijjim (braised beef short ribs), while snack options included rose tteokbokki (creamy spicy rice cakes), jjajang ramyeon (instant noodles in black bean sauce) and gyeranmari (rolled omelet).

Fried chicken came in every familiar variation — original, seasoned, half-and-half or boneless — accompanied by a selection of Korean beers, including Cass and Terra, for the quintessential Korean chimaek experience, the country's beloved pairing of fried chicken and beer.

Soju, Korea’s most popular alcoholic drink, was naturally on the menu as well.

Korea's convenience store chains — CU and GS25 — are seen along a street in Ulaanbaatar, Friday. Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo

The well-established "Mongtan New City" phenomenon was even highlighted by the president during his summit with Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, Thursday, and again at a luncheon with the Korean community in Mongolia, Friday.

Lee, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung, saw the "Mongtan New City" phenomenon for himself during a visit to Seoul Street, established in 1995 to commemorate the sister-city partnership between Seoul and Ulaanbaatar.

Spanning about 2 kilometers, the street is home to Seouljeong, a traditional Korean-style pavilion, and is lined with Korean brands, restaurants and street food vendors, making it a popular destination for locals as well.

Behind the "Mongtan New City" phenomenon lies not only a coordinated expansion strategy by Korean businesses, but also people-to-people exchanges since Korea and Mongolia established diplomatic relations in 1990.

Mongolia has in its own terms been reflecting the depth of bilateral ties, with Korea referred to as the country's "22nd aimag" in recognition of the roughly 60,000 Mongolian nationals living there — the largest Mongolian community.

The figure is roughly equivalent to the population of one aimag, or provincial-level administrative region, with Mongolia divided into 21 such regions.