Korea has a few districts that you can feel some multicultural vibes, Ansan and Pyeongtaek. Let's see how the areas have become multicultural.
Although Korea has become much more culturally diverse over the years, it is still widely regarded as having an essentially homogeneous culture. There are, however, some areas that are actually much more multicultural in nature than other regions in Korea. Two notable cases in this regard are Ansan City and Pyeongtaek City.
Ansan Multicultural Village Special Zone
In the 1990s, when the Sihwa-Banwol Industrial Complexes were established in Ansan City, many foreign migrant workers settled in the area. From that time onward, not unexpectedly, Asan started to see the development of multicultural neighborhoods.In 2009, Wongok-dong, a small district in Ansan, was designated as a special multicultural zone in order to promote its multicultural integration, improve welfare conditions for foreigners, and revitalize the local economy. Now, Ansan has one of the the highest foreign population densities in Korea, with approximately 86,000 people from 107 countries (based on January 2019 data). As it has presented a successful model over the past 10 years, the designation period for the special multicultural zone has been extended from an end point in 2018, as initially planned, to 2023.
One of the most famous districts in Wongok-dong is the Multicultural Food Street, with a multitude of restaurants that offer a diverse range of ethnic cuisines. There are 184 restaurants serving fare from 90 countries, including China, Indonesia, Nepal, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Russia, and Uzbekistan.
World Cultural Experience Center
The World Cultural Experience Center was established in 2012 to facilitate multicultural education. It is a small museum where you can experience various cultures through displays that feature more than 1,400 items including musical instruments, dolls, architectural models, relics, food models, traditional costumes, and masks from over 50 countries. (Visitors can actually try on traditional attire from 250 countries.)
In addition, in the World Cultural Experience Room, you can participate in age-specific programs to learn about and experience various cultures, and you can also take part in an interactive tour of the special multicultural village zone in Wongok-dong; both activities are free upon reservation.
Various annual festivals take place in Ansan to promote and celebrate multiculturalism. Of particular note, a commemorative event is held every year on Togetherness Day on May 20, in which ambassadors from various countries as well as local and foreign people gather together. This year, the event celebrated the designation of Ansan as an intercultural city by the Council of Europe. Seventeen embassy representatives from seven countries, including the ambassadors of Timor-Leste, Latvia, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, took part in the event.
At this year’s event, Ansan City Mayor Yoon Hwa-seop said, "I offer congratulations on the hosting of this commemorative event on Togetherness Day, which aims to create a society in which people from various cultures can understand each other and coexist." He added, “I hope everyone will join us so that we can open up Ansan to more diversity.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had to be delayed until October 19 this year and, in accordance with social distancing, Ansan limited the number of visitors to 300 while maintaining a safe distance of 2 meters between seats.
Pyeongtaek International Central Market
When the US military airfield was built in Pyeongtaek in 1958, the Pyeongtaek International Central Market naturally emerged the area. The railroad tracks used to transport military supplies eventually became a “canvas” for various forms of creative graffiti and now attract many tourists. The market itself consists of two main areas: the Shinjang shopping mall, which starts right outside of the entrance to Osan Airforce Base and features exotic restaurants and stores reflecting the cultures of Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, and more; and the Central Market, which was once called the evening market. The Pyeongtaek International Central Market was designated as a market for cultural tourism in 2012 and planning is currently underway for the operation of merchant education programs and market tours for foreigners.
Itaewon of Gyeonggi-do
The Pyeongtaek International Central Market rivals Itaewon in the renown of its many multinational restaurants, especially in terms of their low prices and exotic tastes, and has been introduced through various media. Of particular note, budae jjigae, also known as “army stew,” originated from US military bases and has become a popular dish among locals and visitors alike.
Moreover, visitors can explore plus-sized clothing stores, souvenir shops, and tailors (some of which have been in business for more than 30 years), and also enjoy some of the many performances staged in the area. It is also worth noting that the central market has a separate customer center building, which offers conference space, parking lot, outdoor shelters, rooms for merchant education and meetings, and other amenities.
Written by Eunbin Cho
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