Old Houses, New Cafés: Jangchung-dong's Quieter Kind of Change
2026, June 18th
Jangchung-dong isn't changing the way Sindang-dong did. There are no crowds of young people lining up at market stalls. Instead, big brands are moving into old houses, the city is promoting the main street, and some of Korea's richest families are buying land. The change is quieter, and it's coming from bigger players.
A neighborhood that was always wealthy
Jangchung-dong's streets of detached houses are known as one of Seoul's first wealthy neighborhoods. From the 1960s on, business leaders built homes here, including the founders of Samsung, Hyundai and Yuhan. In recent years, companies and owner families connected to Samsung, Shinsegae and CJ have bought up large parcels of land in the area. Plans for a new luxury hotel by Paradise Group have also been reported.
The city's plan for Jangchungdan-gil
In 2022, Seoul chose Jangchungdan-gil as one of its first five "local brand" commercial streets. The street runs from Exit 2 of Dongguk University Station toward Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, past Taegeukdang and the jokbal shops. The program promised up to 3 billion won over three years for branding, new facilities and marketing. It also called for landlords and tenants to sign agreements to share the benefits. A year in, though, merchants told reporters the street was still quiet and the promised improvements weren't finished.
Old houses, new brands
The clearest sign of change is what's happening to the old houses. In August 2025, Fritz Coffee Company opened a branch next to Taegeukdang, linking several old buildings around one garden yard. The space had gone through several businesses before, including a Coffee Bean. A few streets away, Starbucks turned a two-story mansion into one of its "special stores" and kept the original doorbell, fireplace and chandelier. Another company remodeled a house of more than 100 pyeong into a garden café.
Meanwhile, the jokbal alley has gotten smaller. The sidewalks have been tidied, there are fewer shops, and many buildings have been redone.
Behind the story
In Sindang-dong, young founders moved into cheap old buildings and the crowds followed. In Jangchung-dong, the money is coming from well-known brands and very wealthy buyers. That may mean fewer crowds, but bigger and faster changes to who can afford to stay.