Beyond Tteokbokki: Seoul Museum Charts Sindang-dong's Three Faces

On one side, the clang of metal and acrid smoke spread from aging ironworks, while in another alley the smell of tteokbokki draws crowds. Past market alleys filled with the sound of merchants haggling, stylish cafes and design studios appear one after another. Sindang-dong in Seoul's Jung-gu district is a space where different eras coexist, drawing attention under the nickname "Hipdang-dong." This transformation, however, is not the result of a short period.

"Sindang-dong: 神·新·Hip," a report from the 2025 Seoul Living Culture Survey published by the Seoul Museum of History, organizes the formation and change of Sindang-dong into three layers. It traces the flow from a place where gods were enshrined to a modern city, and then to a district visited by young people and foreigners.

The place name Sindang-dong originates from sindang (神堂), meaning "a house that enshrines gods." Outside Gwanghuimun during the Joseon Dynasty, this area was a passage through which the dead left the capital and the site of the Donghwalinseo, placing it on the boundary between life and death. It was also a space where shamans lived in groups and performed functions of healing and comfort. The area now uses the character for "new" (新), but names such as Mudang Creek and Mudang Bridge retain traces of that time.

After the modern era, Sindang-dong began to take on an urban structure. During the Japanese colonial period, the creation of a "culture village" brought a grid-pattern of roads and residential lots, and connecting streetcar lines improved accessibility. After liberation and the Korean War, an influx of refugees and returning compatriots led to a sharp increase in population. The current urban framework was then formed through a land readjustment project.

The characteristics of Sindang-dong are clearly revealed at the alley level. Ssajeon Street, Tteokbokki Street, Gaemi Alley and Ironworks Street are spaces formed as specific industries and everyday history accumulated. They hold meaning in that they are the result of accumulated livelihood activities rather than a commercial district created by plan.

Recently, changes have also emerged in the industrial structure and commercial districts. In the sewing and clothing sector, the introduction of 3D and artificial intelligence technology is being attempted, and new brands and workshops are flowing into the existing commercial areas. It is a pattern in which new consumption and culture are combined atop a past industrial base.

Foreign visitors are also on the rise. Moving away from a flow dominated by Asian tourists centered on Tteokbokki Street, the proportion of Western visitors is expanding. The location adjacent to Dongdaemun, public transportation accessibility, and content using Korean materials are analyzed as key factors. In the case of some stores, the proportion of foreigners among weekday visitors was found to reach about 40%.

Choi Byeong-gu, director of the Seoul Museum of History, said, "Sindang-dong is a space that intensively shows the changes of Seoul, from the shamanistic faith of Joseon to the residential and commercial changes of the modern era, and to the current cultural flow." He added, "Through this report, we hope the historical value that Sindang-dong holds will be illuminated more three-dimensionally."

The report can be purchased at the Seoul Book Store and the Seoul Museum of History museum shop.