[Report] Revival of Myeongdong, the 'No.1 K-Beauty District'... Missha's 'Gaeddongsuk' Popup After 3 Years

430 Million Sold 'Gaeddongsuk' Pop-up Store Opens
With More Foreigners in Myeongdong, 'Beauty = Myeongdong' Formula Injected

On the 5th, in front of the Missha Megastore in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, the LED screen was fully covered with 'Ganghwaseom' among foreigners who were curiously looking at the building's bright red exterior. Missha opened a pop-up store on this day under the theme of 'Invitation to Ganghwaseom.' This is the first event in three years since the 'Shrine of Ungnyeo' held in Insadong in 2021. The product featured is the same 'Gaeddongsuk' line from three years ago. It is Missha's flagship product, having sold 4.3 million units domestically and internationally since its launch.

Ganghwaseom is the place where Gaeddongsuk, the medium of this pop-up store, is cultivated. The pop-up filled the entire 3rd and 4th floors of the building with the story of Gaeddongsuk. Missha usually uses only the 1st floor of the Megastore as a sales space, but through this pop-up, both the 3rd and 4th floors were opened to the public.

The reinforced island LED screen installed in front of the Missha Megastore in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Minji Lee

Taking the elevator up to the 4th floor, Ganghwaseom unfolds in earnest. Following the scent of Gaeddongsuk, visitors can visually experience the environment where Gaeddongsuk grows and the fermentation process that takes place in Onggi pots for 100 days. There is also a photo booth where visitors can dress up as Ungnyeo, who became human by eating garlic and mugwort, wearing hanbok, and a hands-on zone to try applying Gaeddongsuk products. Since Gaeddongsuk is the main product in the soothing skin care category, the 3rd floor also features a space to enjoy rest and relaxation. Considering the high interest in the Gaeddongsuk brand in the skincare sector, Missha explained that the theme of this pop-up store was selected to widely promote the brand identity.

Myeongdong has revived as the 'No.1 K-Beauty district.' Beauty companies that had disappeared from Myeongdong due to the direct impact of COVID-19 are gradually returning. Missha also aims to instill the formula 'Beauty = Myeongdong' among both domestic and foreign customers through this pop-up store.

Missha chose Myeongdong as the location for the pop-up store instead of Seongsu-dong, which is called the 'holy land of pop-ups.' While Seongsu-dong is well known among domestic customers, Myeongdong was ideal for Missha, which is actively expanding overseas business, as it attracts both domestic and foreign visitors. Looking at the sales composition of Able C&C, which owns Missha as its flagship brand, overseas sales accounted for 58% as of the third quarter of last year, significantly surpassing domestic and online sales. Missha has entered 38 countries, including the United States and Japan, as well as Southeast Asia and Europe. Last year, in the European market, which was considered a barren land for K-Beauty, sales grew by 143% year-on-year based on cumulative sales through the third quarter, attracting consumption from European MZ (Millennial + Gen Z) consumers.

Missha's signature skincare line featuring Artemisia annua as the main ingredient.
[Photo by Minji Lee]

The fact that the cosmetics select shop Olive Young is attracting foreigners in Myeongdong also influenced Missha's decision to choose this area. As individual tourism trends rise over group tours, foreign tourists are flocking to Myeongdong to try and purchase cosmetics directly at regular road shops rather than duty-free stores. In fact, Olive Young opened a 1,157㎥ (350 pyeong) foreigner-specialized store in Myeongdong last November, with 90% of the store's visitors being foreigners and daily visitors reaching 3,000. Reflecting this atmosphere, Missha plans to open its third store in Myeongdong within this month.

As the Myeongdong commercial district stirs, Able C&C's performance continues to trend upward. Sales in the Myeongdong area alone increased by 300% in the first half of last year compared to the same period the previous year. Operating profit also doubled to 1.3 billion KRW in the third quarter of last year from 600 million KRW in the same period the previous year. A Missha official said, "We will maximize the geographical advantages of Myeongdong to promote the excellence of K-Beauty to foreign tourists," adding, "We will secure global growth momentum with country-specific customized products and sales strategies in overseas markets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.